Prince of Demonbeasts
by Cosmicgiraffe
Summary: "Why did he look upon the GSA so highly? Did he really believe they were fighting for justice? While they saved the lives of all other races, they murdered his kind upon sight... and it was the pain and suffering of demonbeasts that bled upon battlefields..." Meta Knight's personal fight for glory and honor... all the while, struggling to hang on to his past...
1. Chapter I: First Breaths

**Author Note:** Didn't originally plan to write a prequel to Angels of Prophecy, but readers voted for it. You guys are trying to kill me. As if my life's not busy enough. (Nah, I'm kind of excited to write this too).

Seems to be a sudden flood of Meta Knight's past fics, and this story is yet another one following the Meta-Knightmare theory. Parts of Angels of Prophecy hinted at upcoming parts, but I've edited the ideas quite a bit since… wow, two years ago. For those who've read my first story, expect to see similar things with some changes.

**EDIT 8/12/12:** Just a quick clean up to better support the later chapters and the major edits I've put into them. Corrected a couple of typos along the way.

**Disclaimer: **Cosmicgiraffe holds no rights over any of the characters mentioned in this chapter besides Scipio. The rest all belong to their respected owners, including Nintendo and HAL. The plot is fan based by Cosmicgiraffe, who does now hold any third party rights over the Kirby franchise.

**X—X—X**

**-Chapter I: First Breaths-**

Voices…

He fought his way through the darkness as the broken fragments of sentences surrounded him. They were coming at him in every direction and he helplessly tried to reach them, but they slipped away into that awful silence. A few moments ago, he had no perception of existence and he suddenly understood this to be a world. Everything he knew to be his body and consciousness wanted to fall back and return to nothingness, but he couldn't let go of something just beyond his grasp…

Slowly, he opened his eyes for the first time. He could see little past the film of glowing green and the few bubbles that floated up past his face. Everything in his vision was blurred and just the small source of light coming from above hurt to look at. The sound of his shallow, but steady breaths through a large tube fitted over his mouth filled his head dizzily… if only he could steady the pain he was feeling. The unfamiliar feel of oxygen filling his lungs stung him, burning his throat.

"My Lord, Project Meta-K02 is nearly complete. We only need to finish up a few last things and he should be fully operating."

"He better be. I've patiently waited for hundreds of years and it's run short. I want to see finished results _NOW_."

His gold eyes refocused as more and more of his senses awakened. He became aware of the presence of two other figures standing behind the glass watching him. Their bodies however, still remained blurry as his range of vision slowly expanded. He felt threatened suddenly. The second voice was so harsh…

"Is he even awake? He's barely responding." The second voice returned.

He could see the figure outside the glass move in closer to examine him. He felt a unexplainable chill rush over him.

"Yes, My Lord… though… it might be a few more minutes before he starts understanding everything he's seeing and hearing. Please My Lord, just allow him to take his time…"

The dark, looming figure with the cold voice smiled, bending forward closer to the glass vial. His long, skeleton-like fingers gently touched the glass, nails leaving scratches on the smooth surface.

"Your name is Meta-K02… Prince of demonbeasts… remember that, for you are the heir to the universe's largest empire."

Meta-K02 only stared back at the dark figure. Unlike the servant standing at the computer screen, his body was completely void of all heat. Every time the dark figure leaned forward, Meta-K02 could feel the glass begin to freeze. Confused, he looked between the two, trying to determine which body type was normal.

"My Lord? I wish not to interrupt, but you really need to see this…"

The dark figure moved away and looked at the screen carefully. Meta-K02 strained to see more of the room, but there was little else. Was he allowed to come out now? Hadn't they been waiting for him to wake up? He pressed his face to the glass.

Suddenly, the doors at the other end of the walkway slid open and a rabbit-like demonbeast came bounding forward, nearly sliding to a stop before the dark figure and bowing low to the ground.

"My Lord! The border police have just reported an uprising on Planet CT-67! They desperately await your orders."

"Can the idiots deal with it themselves? I foresaw the first gunshot hours ago and expected them to be highly capable of destroying the rebel forces."

"My Lord… they only ask to follow your exact wishes… and the chief border police reported that there's likely a Star Warrior that's leading them."

Meta-K02 curiously watched as his senses picked up the sudden flicker of tension around the dark figure. The black particles that made up the emperor's body churned.

"A Star Warrior, you say. Now why would there be a STAR WARRIOR there if my guards are watching the border?!"

No one moved. The unfortunate messenger finally worked up some courage to answer.

"My Lord, we might lose CT-67. The Star Warrior's strong…"

The dark figure scowled and for a long time, looked back at Meta-K02 before he finally turned away.

"Alright… I'll be back"

Meta-K02 watched the dark figure and the messenger disappear into the hallway and he strained to catch a glimpse of the room outside the only one he knew. The remaining demonbeast nervously kept an eye on him as he finished up his work on the computer, then hurriedly exited. The demonbeast prince gazed up at the wires draping around the glass cylinder, looking around at the prison he was born in.

* * *

No one entered the room, and he certainly didn't leave it. He already calculated that it had been exactly three hours and twenty-nine minutes since the dark figure had left. Meta-K02 came to understand how machine-like he was and how comparable his body and mind was to the control panel's computer. But he was greater than it! The computer was incapable of true thought which he had… and lacked the emotions of loneliness.

Meta-K02 remained there like an imprisoned butterfly. His pre-programmed artificial intelligence could see that the security around him was incredibly high. Nothing he did could possibly break himself free. Being all alone left such a terrible feeling in his heart… they hadn't… forgotten him, right? He desperately wanted to see what was outside of this room, because surely it was more spectacular than a lonely capsule embedded in a room's shadows. He was designed to know that there were others in this world, yet he didn't know who they were or what they looked like. Actually, he already 'knew' lots of things that he still had yet to understand. There was a thing called 'wind' that he had yet to see and a color called 'red' he had yet to touch… or were they something that he could not see or touch?

… why did they leave him here?

All of his unused muscles were weak. It took him much effort to pull against all the wires and see his round, dark blue body and even more to see his bat wings. However, all they were was the thin metal structural support without any skin covering. He was left like this: unfinished.

His understanding of the world was so limited. All he knew was that all of his intelligence was pre-programmed into him and that he was unhappy right now

_My name… my name… Meta-K02… it's my name… but who am I?_

For whatever reason he was being kept as a caged bird, he wouldn't know until someone came back into the room to tell him. He wasn't… dangerous, right? Thinking about how the others moved their mouths to speak, he tried to imitate it, hoping to hear his own voice. Not even a sound. Meta-K02 wondered if he would be silent forever.

_Who am I? _

"Why do question who you are? You are a prince that hasn't yet seen his kingdom… all in good time, Meta-K02."

The demonbeast prince watched in awe as a shadowy orb drifted down to the platform before materializing into the dark figure in full form.

"Can you hear me… Meta-K02?"

Of course, the small little demonbeast didn't reply, not even knowing how to speak yet. He mouthed out sounds, but then dropped it.

"Everything turned out perfectly…" The figure marveled quietly. "You look so different now… completed… than when I first started creating you…"

Then, his creator waved a hand over the top of the capsule and the lid dematerialized. Meta-K02 was looking up now as Nightmare drew out a lab knife and for a horrifying moment, the little demonbeast thought he was no longer desired. Instead, he watched Nightmare cut his own finger and let the blood drop into the green liquid, immediately beginning to react. The blood flowed like black smoke around Meta-K02 and in awe, saw it swirl around his wings. Instantly, skin began to form into the shape of bat wings with dark purple limbs and thin membrane.

The liquid was drained and all the latches were unlocked. Real oxygen was filling his lungs now. The dark figure outstretched his hands for Meta-K02. The little demonbeast didn't know what to do, but then he took a step forward. Instead, he landed on his face and trying to stabilize his body and dizziness, he got back up on to his feet to attempt it again.

"Yes… yes… take your time, Meta-K02. Come to me." The dark figure murmured.

His body felt heavy… but he badly wanted to walk. The long, metal walkway felt strange to him, as did everything else. He was shaking so much…

Meta-K02 nearly reached the end but just before he could collapse, the dark figure caught him and drew him in close. The little demonbeast gripped the starry blue cape tightly, feeling the ice creep up along his wings… but he felt so happy just then…

… and he didn't even notice as the dark figure dematerialized and possess his body.

* * *

Outside the creation room of the still unknown high Prince, Scipio flicked out his slender tongue, licking away a bead of sweat that dripped down his scaly head. The alarms were blaring, the red light bathing the wall ways. As one of the generals of Nightmare's forces and chief Palace Guard, Scipio didn't have much choice than to be standing here with a small squad with their weapons at ready.

The lizard general handled his taser gun gingerly. Along with protecting the citadel, the Palace Guard had the duty to track down and lock up demonbeasts who escaped from their creation rooms before completion, often easier said then done. Usually, it was some vicious, fire-breathing demonbeast without any pre-programmed intelligence that they had to go through the entire palace to look for. And now, standing before the shaking door of the Prince's creation room, he only could expect the worse.

Actually, Scipio was a little afraid of what he was going to see. No one outside of the elite group of scientists and Nightmare himself had seen the Prince. Everything surrounding the emperor's heir was so secretive and Scipio's imagination couldn't quite picture what fearsome thing was breaking out of his creation room.

They all leapt back in horror as they watched the heavy iron door began to twist and crumple from its holders. That door, as strong as it was, wasn't going to last very long.

"Sir! What's your orders?"

"Hold positionz… no, you zhere, go find Lord Nightmare and tell him at once zat ze Prince iz breaking out!"

The chosen guard almost too gratefully began sprinting away, leaving the rest of the group standing there. A bolt fell out from the door's holder and the group stood at the ready once more with renewed anxiousness, and above all, fear.

Then, the door fell off and out stepped a small, dark blue ball. Scipio remained silent while the rest of the group broke out laughing, but he too was in complete shock.

"Look at him! That can't possibly be the Prince! He's so pathetic and small!"

The general blinked, unable to find words to say. _This_ was the Prince of Demonbeasts? _This_ was the heir to the throne? How could hundreds of years of precise work produce something… something… something so wasted?

One of the guards put down his taser gun and walked up to the little demonbeast to escort him away when the prince's eyes became pure white. Suddenly, all matter around him turned into a massive wave. Scipio and all of the guards were thrown back against the walls with powerful force.

The lizard general gasped, watching the power resonate off of the metal walls. What he had just seen was the work of pure dark magic… something that could compare to Nightmare's power…

He looked up to see emperor himself exit the prince from his back and immediately, the prince collapsed on the ground. The emperor stretched out, seemingly in pain.

"Such a tiny little body… it took more effort for me to try and squeeze into his shape… ah, Scipio, you're already here. I'd like to introduce you to the Prince. Take a good look at him, because he will eventually be your superior when he's a little older. You will be the one training him."

"But… how can such… such power require training? This iz beyond all…" Scipio stammered.

"He wasn't shaped to be purely powerful as this; this was only a test run and it took a considerable amount of my own power to provoke his. I see that he did inherit some of my talents, but it's so, so faint… I was expecting better."

Scipio slowly approached the boy and bent down to turn him on to his back and the other guards took the cue to back off. Such a waste… what he had seen just seconds before was true power… but the prince only possessed a fraction of it. Without that aura of energy around him, he truly looked small and pathetic.

"I understandz, My Lord."

"I had to make sure all of his mechanical workings were… functioning properly before I move on to my next plans… he is an experiment after all._  
_

"Why iz zat, My Lord?"

"All three hundred and seventy six of his brother projects began to malfunction, their systems overloaded. Meta-K02 has, by far, lasted longer than any of them, just these couple of hours. I still don't understand it myself why… _he_… our of all my larger and greater creations, made it to the final stages of development…"

Scipio's tongue flicked out thoughtfully.

"Zhen perhapz zis waz how he waz meant to be… I look forward to see him in ze Ring. If… if I am to be hiz trainer… zhan do you wish me to begin training him now to prepare?"

"No… I want preparations made for tomorrow. I feel I might have not given his own abilities a chance to show. Perhaps in the next twenty four hours… we'll see if he truly does have potential…"

**X—X—X**

**Author Note: **I have little comment to make at this point.

I know someone's going to be asking this so I'm going to explain it now:

_Why isn't Nightmare doing the creating? Why does he have a group of others helping him? _

I do know that a lot of people believe that he does all of his creating on the chess board seen in episode 3, but to me, that scene's really just symbolic and not an actual event (I say that especially for the Meta-Knightmare theory). Plus, that's a lot of demonbeasts for just one guy to make, even if he's all-powerful. You'd think he'd run out of ideas pretty fast… oh, that's why a lot of the demonbeasts look so funny… maybe I should have left that unsaid. XD

In my view, the scientists do all the extra work of making sure everything's running smoothly after Nightmare's done with the actual designing and creation. (Also, I really don't believe anything can be created and functioning spontaneously. That just indicates to me that Nightmare is careless, which I don't think he is).

Meta Kn- ahem! Meta-K02 doesn't know Nightmare's name quite yet but he'll find out next chapter.

I changed Scipio's design, but I'm still undecided with it. For now, just imagine the Geico Gecko, just a little meaner-looking and decked out with some armor.

**Chapter 2 might have a few details that are out of place now with this edit. Just know that you've gotten ahead of my editing and will just have to ignore it for now. **

Please review!


	2. Chapter II: Reasons Why

**A/N: **There are probably a lot of things I need to fix, but right now, I'm WAY too tired to deal with the problems. Right now, it's one in the morning where I am.

I've been working on a lot lately…for once. Not only have I been working on this story, I've been working on my other story which I have been neglecting AND been editing Angels of Prophecy finally. I have to say, it's quite awfuland it's even more distressing by the fact that it came from my OWN TWO HANDS! D:

I would like to thank everyone who has given a critique. I've checked through the last chapter and found quite a few mistakes, some that were pointed out and others that I found myself. As you read, it would make me extremely happy if you as a reader would point out any mistakes you see, whether if it's the basic flow of the chapter, the grammar, word choice, spelling (I dearly hope there isn't any! Spelling errors directly prod at a lazy writer in the rib cage!) and/or anything else.

And also, I managed to upload the cover for this story on to Deviant Art. Not the best but I'm just going to have to deal with it. Simply called: 'Prince of Demonbeasts Cover'. Nothing fancy. :)

This chapter includes a few familiar figures from the anime, some that even appeared in the games as well.

**Disclaimer: **Cosmicgiraffe holds no rights over any of the characters mentioned in this chapter besides Scipio. The rest all belong to their respected owners, including Nintendo and HAL. The plot is fan based by Cosmicgiraffe, who does not hold any third party rights over the Kirby franchise.

**-Chapter 2: Reasons Why-**

_Systems starting up…_

_Resuming data collections…_

_Processing…_

Meta-K02 slowly awakened, Dark Nebula greeting him with a painful throb. As his body began turning on its components, the lenses in his eyes refocused, adjusting to the near-complete darkness. The unfamiliar surroundings confused him. This was not his birth cylinder.

Before him, only a pale sliver of light shone, streaming down across his face. He stumbled forwards, pressing his warm cheeks to the steel walls.

He let out a soundless gasp as he suddenly heard the sound of metal clink against metal and he looked down, switching lenses to get a better view of the metal encasing that had been secured around him. It was armor, somewhat light in weight but surprisingly strong. He felt faint, unable to breathe as well with the straps pulled taut. It bordered his frame and ran down along his sides, coiling at sharp points at the very ends of his wings. He weighed it, feeling unaccustomed to the excess mass that had been added when he had been unawake. The scratches that ran along his exposed face and arms pointed directly at the one who had fitted it over him: Scipio. Anything that had to do with the strict lizard general was serious.

Along with the armor, white gloves now covered his hands and he blinked as he looked them over. Why was he to wear such useless articles of clothing when it disallowed him to use the sensory chips that had been placed in his hands? He reached to take them off to find that a strap had been woven into its cuff and was tightly fitted around his wrists, indicating that it was to remain on.

Meta-K02 turned back towards the thin stream of light and peered out into the sidings of the large channel the cylinder he was in was moving up along. His eyes automatically changed to scan the framework of the machinery concealed behind the walls. Being incredibly dense, the walls were impenetrable to his vision, only allowing him to see the first layer of the complex network. He stole an upwards glance as sound reached his head. He pressed his head closer to the wall, trying to hear the single voice that came clear over the wave of noise. As if speaking through some type of loud speaker, the words echoed over.

"For three thousand…_thousand…_seven hundred and forty eight years…_years…_Lord Nightmare along with his…_his…_specially selected assistants have…_have…_designed and shaped what was to be the most powerful…_powerful…_creation known to the universe, that would be unparalleled to any other…_other_, that would be granted…_granted…_the abilities as powerful as the God of War Himself…_Himself_…

"This design has been…_been…_rendered through countless prior…_prior…_experiments, totaling three hundred seventy six failed projects…but the final project, named Project Meta-K02 has…_has…_prevailed over all…_all…_we bring you…the Prince!"

Light ruptured into the cylinder, burning the sensitive lenses in his eyes as he immediately switched them back to normal vision, overwhelmed by the sounds of thousands of demonbeasts. He brought his hands to his head, his mind unable to function with the intense wave of thoughts from the demonbeasts that shattered his wall of concentration.

Surrounding him were high walls, towering far above him that enclosed a wide field of rocky terrain. The entire Ring, programmed to appear as a Greek Coliseum, had crumbling stone arches stacked in several rings that drifted along their orbiting path, rotating in non-patterned directions. Mixed in with the stone were wiring systems that powered the strong lighting as well as the large projectors that showed his confused and terrified face for all to see.

The demonbeasts seated in a wide ring around him in stone spectator stands were mostly of animal types. Their speech was taken up by the form of using mind connections to interact, sending thoughts rather than words. Their thoughts pounded through Meta-K02's skull as he was forced to listen to their derisive laughs.

"That's_ the Prince?"_

"_This must be some kind of joke!"_

"_This…this little thing? A representative of the God of War? What a laugh."_

"_Perhaps there was a mistake…maybe this is only a challenger against the _real _Prince…"_

Meta-K02 looked around him, feeling lower with every comment made by his own people. He turned to hide back within the cylinder to find that it had already folded up and slid back into its opening, disappearing into the floor programmed to appear and feel like dusty gravel. The figure that had spoken through the loud speaker came down on a large floating platform and with a smirk, he raised a hand to place over the lever and the entire device tilted towards Meta-K02 for better acquaintance.

"Greetings, Prince. You may call me Customer Service. I am to explain a few things before you will be tested before Lord Nightmare."

Meta-K02 opened his mouth, wanting to speak but no sound coming out. Regardless of having the ability to speak or not, it would not have been heard over the demonbeast crowds.

Customer Service was based off the design of a business man, complete with a dark striped suit and a tie. His flashing orange glasses seemed to smirk along with his lips as he pushed them up further along his nose bridge.

"You will be fighting against challengers of different skill levels, their arrangement not in any particular order. Your score will be based on technique, special abilities, and time. The entire Enterprise is watching from the screens around the city and Nightmare is waiting to be impressed. Good luck."

Rising, the floating platform whizzed away up towards the highest point of the arena where Nightmare himself was seated in a sandstone throne, gazing down towards him. Meta-K02 felt a cold shiver run down his spine as his master spoke through Dark Nebula.

"_It took quite a bit of convincing on Scipio's behalf for me to decide to have you tested without training to see your true abilities. Do not disappoint me and I dearly hope you will not humiliate me in front of my own subjects."_

Nightmare stood up and the crowds quieted themselves. A deathly silence hung in the air as the dark emperor leaned forwards, his skeleton hands leaving deep scratches in the stone railing.

"Bring out the first challenger."

In the silence, a computerized voice sounded.

"Challenger One entering Ring."

The floor at the far end of the field suddenly opened, a steel gray cylinder with the likeness of the one he had come from appearing, coming to a halt. Slowly, it opened, not one creature stirring in the stands. For a long moment, nothing happened and Meta-K02 began to wonder if perhaps he would be lucky and be able to go back to his birth cylinder when fog began drifting out of the cylinder, slowly reaching out and consuming the air. Meta-K02 watched as a cloud-like form materialized, its single eye opening. Several golden spikes suddenly jutted from its sides as it expanded, floating into the air as its cylinder disappeared into the ground.

"We…_we…_bring you…Kracko!" Customer Service announced from Nightmare's side, speaking into the loud speaker.

Kracko turned to gaze down at the cowering figure of Meta-K02. The dark blue puffball slowly came forwards, trying to look brave as he reached out towards its consciousness. The creature lacked thought, its mind completely blank and was almost the same as looking into a deep void. Its empty stare seemed to stab into him when suddenly; the entire arena erupted with light.

Meta-K02 was thrown back as the electricity surged through him. He looked up, a noiseless gasp escaping from him. The cloud demonbeast held great power over electricity and looking down at his arms, he ran his hand along the fresh burn marks. Kracko drew away, building up power for a stronger attack. The puffball scurried away, stumbling over the rocks as the cloud pursued him. Running was something new to him, something he would have to learn fast.

Kracko unleashed a painful zap that knocked Meta-K02 off his feet. He snapped his eyes open, feeling the sharp rocks stab his face. He weakly got up, wiping the blood out of his eyes. He realized what he was to be: a gladiator fighting for his life in an arena where spectators watched for pure amusement.

From the stands, Scipio leaned over the railings, his tongue flicking out.

"What arez you doing? Fight it!"

Another crackle of energy shot past his head as Meta-K02 ducked behind a rock. He turned to see it coming, its spikes glimmering in the light of the electricity.

Dark Nebula gave a painful throb to add to his hurt, its voice shrieking in his mind.

"_What a disgrace to Nightmare! Go back and fight it!"_

_No…no…NO!_

Another zap of electricity and the rock was blown apart, throwing Meta-K02 across the field like a useless toy. It only seemed to amuse the demonbeasts in the stands and from the corner of his gold eyes; Meta-K02 could see the deepening frown on Nightmare's face.

He turned, his eyes falling upon the walls. There was no way he could fight this monster…he had to run. Getting up, Meta-K02 stumbled forwards towards the walls of the field, his weak muscles unable to move straight from never having learned to walk, let alone run.

He looked back as Kracko released another charge, destroying the rocky terrain. He turned, his hands reaching for the wall when a sudden zap sent him flying backwards. He glanced back, seeing the high voltage barrier around the Ring restore its film-like surface to a practically invisible state. He could now see that he was trapped…trapped within a dome of the electrical barrier.

Kracko's spikes began to crackle as it gathered up its charge. Inside him, Meta-K02 let out a whimper, his only reaction being normal to a newly created demonbeast: he ducked his head and covered himself with his arms and wings, standing there shivering with fear.

Some of the demonbeasts in the spectator stands erupted with laughter at the sight, only to be hushed as Nightmare shot a death glare towards them. Nightmare sat back in his throne, feeling a deeper mortification fill him. Why wouldn't his finest creation repeat what he had done less than twenty six and a half hours ago? It had been a stunning sight to see this little puffball's true powers…but now with every last demonbeast within the Enterprise watching, he would not do it.

His hands curled around the ends of the arm rests, leaving deep dents in the metal replicating rock. He made a mental note to converse with Scipio later, and everything he wanted to say was not going to be pleasant.

Slowly, Nightmare raised his hands to his head as he closed his unseen eyes, focusing on Dark Nebula. The star blinked, hearing the call of its former body…

Meta-K02 watched from the corner of his eyes as Kracko came looming overhead, the cloud demonbeast searching for him as it slowly checked behind each. Dark Nebula beated wildly in his chest, making him worried that the challenger would hear it.

Some demonbeasts in the crowd seemed to have developed a slight amount of pity for the sorry state of the terrified puffball, who would more than likely fail like the many others and never live to know the true meaning of life. The rest of the demonbeasts were calling out to Kracko, trying to show it where he was hiding so they could watch the puffball dart out again and perhaps make a more entertaining spectacle.

Suddenly, he felt a stab of pain in his chest. Meta-K02 clutched at his armor, slowly falling to his hands before collapsing to the ground. The crowds watched as his entire body began twitching. He gasped out, his wings crumpling behind him as he twisted in pain. The dark blue puffball looked up towards his master whose face remained impassive. Slowly, he turned back up to the cloud demonbeast, his breaths coming out shallow.

During this time, no one moved. Even Kracko had stopped, sensing a changing mood surround the puffball. The demonbeasts manning the recording cameras lowered their platforms, trying to get better footage that would appear on the screens across the metropolis. Nothing happened and everyone waited…waiting to see whether the dark blue puffball died of fright or something similar.

Then, Meta-K02 rose into a standing position, his eyes gazing at the ground and away from everyone watching. He was completely still; frozen in place with not even the slightest movement of breathing shown. Kracko drifted forward, sensing that it was supposed to be continuing the fight when the dark blue puffball's hand shot into the air, holding it out towards the cloud demonbeast. Meta-K02's head lifted, his eyes a lustrous blood red.

Nightmare leaned forward as the demonbeast spectators gasped out, all crowding around the front stands to get a better view. Kracko writhed, the vessels in its single eye snapping and the white of its eye becoming bloodshot. Its entire body began to twist horribly under the power of Meta-K02. If anyone had been standing nearby, they would have seen the growing grin that smeared itself across the puffball's face, one that could easily have matched Nightmare's.

Kracko looked down towards Meta-K02, its entire body seeming to scream. Inside his chest, Dark Nebula beated wildly, sensing dark intents in the puffball and it began forcing more blood through him. Meta-K02 could faintly recall the wonderful feeling of power the last time he had used his gifts…but now, all that he could think was getting back at the cloud demonbeast, to make it suffer for hurting him. He wanted…he wanted to let his power be felt…to be feared…to dominate…

With a flick of his wrist, Kracko was thrown across the field, slamming against the barrier where Meta-K02 pinned it down. Although it already held some passable level of power over electricity, the electrical charges that were running through the cloud demonbeast were overpowering. Kracko had not been created to withstand a voltage power greater than its own.

The entire Ring lit up with fantastical displays of Kracko being electrocuted to death. The bewildered and horrified eyes of the onlookers reflected the light.

Meta-K02 came forwards, his wings opening behind him like a rich robe of violet, the thin membranes stretching out for its first time. His wing bones fell into place, having been created to be ready for flight in a moment's notice. His steps no longer came freely as they once had…he was no longer in control of his body.

He was a marionette, controlled by a greater power through the mechanical heart embedded within his chest.

Running forwards, Meta-K02 kicked himself up over the edge of a crumbled rock and his wings were greeted with wind. Higher and higher he raised as he shot forward, coming straight towards the struggling figure of Kracko. The air…it felt so natural…too natural…

His hands closed around the cloud demonbeast, just under its eye and began strangling it. The electricity entered his body, running from his hands, following the curve of his body, before returning to Kracko. But something was different this time…he felt his chest tighten as his body took in the voltage power…absorbing it…his entire body seemed to rearrange accordingly to the electrical current…as if it was an instinct…

Kracko gave a final resistant fight before it slowly began evaporating into steam, disappearing under Meta-K02's grasp. He released his hold, hovering in the air just before the barrier, watching the vapor rise before it was gone.

Only one spectator stood up at that very moment, a smirk replacing the once solemn expression.

"Bring out all of the challengers at once."

The computerized voice could not be heard as hundreds of cylinders suddenly rose out of the programmed ground, opening to reveal the demonbeasts within. Like an army advancing upon him, they clacked their weapons, their fangs, and their claws against the ground, ready to fight.

Meta-K02 turned, his glowing red eyes narrowing as he landed back at the very center of the field. Had he not just destroyed that other demonbeast? Who were these? His wings flared out as he sensed potential threat to his position. No…he would exterminate these inferior creatures…

He spread his feet apart, gaining an offensive position ready as the demonbeasts closed in on him. His gloves began to crackle with its new power over electricity,

All at once, he struck out, sailing from one challenger to the next. Dark Nebula seemed to smile from within his chest, its single eye glowing brightly to reflect the power of the aura that seemed to surround him. His wings flew for the first time, already seeming to know exactly how to without the need of being taught. He sprang from the beheaded body of one challenger to the next, kicking away its saber and cracking its skull. He jumped down, neatly back flipping as a demonbeast viciously swiped at his feet. He rolled under the creature, knocking it down. Taking a fearsome hold on its leg, he began to whirl it around, faster and faster, using his new weapon to attack the rest of them.

Demonbeasts flew in every direction, the closest ones to the spinning cyclone receiving the heaviest blows. It was not long before only three remaining demonbeasts stood, all waiting for their chance to fight. Sensing that this would make a great time to advertise these final challengers, Customer Service held the loud speaker up to his smirking lips.

"Remaining challengers are…_are…_our very own…_own…_never before defeated gladiator champion…_pion…_Bugzzy!"

Meta-K02 watched as the stag beetle-like demonbeast clack together its mandibles, raising its mallet and saber out threateningly.

"…the wild cat from…_from…_the deepest inferno…Fire Lion…_Lion…_!"

The great fearsome figure of figure uncurled its body, its fiery mane shaking out glowing embers as it roared out, much to the crowd's enthusiasm. Its body was hot enough to scorch the wiring system beneath it, making its footprints colorless as it burned through the holographic mechanism and revealed the real metal beneath it.

"And finally…the strongest…_est…_ demonbeast to have…_have…_ lived; now battling for…_for…_that position…Masher!"

This was the demonbeast that received the most cheers from the crowds, being a favorite for its mass strength and power. Meta-K02 had to tilt his head back to see its very top. Like a large iron cauldron, the demonbeast was complete mechanical, in its hands was the largest mace he had ever seen, its spikes could easily impale him.

Meta-K02 growled, facing all three of them. He was the Prince! Nothing was more superior than his power! Nightmare had said so!

Behind him, electricity still in his veins crackled. His gloves began glowing, the currents racing through his body as he watched the challengers charge. Had it been from fighting Kracko that he received this power? Or was it merely something that had been hidden within him, only to awaken by the power of the cloud demonbeast?

He crouched lower to the ground, his wings flared up as the shadows of Bugzzy, Fire Lion, and Masher engulfed him. Then, like an erupting volcano, Meta-K02 shot out from them as they closed in, his wings stretched out magnificently. He sailed past the crowd's heads, up past Nightmare's stand, flying up towards the very top of the Ring where the barrier met at a single point. Then slowly, he came to a halt, far above everyone. He placed his hand on the barrier, closing his eyes.

Immediately, he felt the voltage power burn through his gloves but he did not remove his hand. He slowly opened his eyes, which were now glowing pure white. A wide, malicious grin spread across his face. The electricity began to absorb into him, the power highest at the very top. Sparks flew from where he was as the electrical currents surrounded him.

Then, he drew away, his arms tingling with power.

Bugzzy, Fire Lion, and Masher were all gazing upwards, waiting for his electrified body to fall to the ground so they could all return to their birth cylinders when a streak of light flashed by their faces. They all turned dumbly, in awe as Meta-K02's body shimmered like a celestial comet.

Suddenly, Meta-K02 struck out at them, too fast for anyone to see what was happening.

He selected his first target: Fire Lion. Flying forwards, Meta-K02 released a powerful electrical charge. However, he watched as the wildcat seem unaffected by it. In turn, Fire Lion slashed out at his face, the fire scorching his flesh as he was knocked out of the air. Landing heavily on the ground, Meta-K02 looked up as Masher swung its mace. Ruthless pain erupted in his body as he slammed into the barrier, not getting the chance to absorb the energy and instead suffered it.

The dark blue puffball got up, charging forwards to meet his challengers head on. He leapt into the air, just skimming over the gleaming blade of Bugzzy's saber, pushing himself upward on the gladiator demonbeast's arm and smashing its skull into the ground. Its wings opened, throwing him off of it. Meta-K02 turned towards Masher, who was running with its body in a full tilt to unleash its mace. The Prince sidestepped, feeling renewed power return to him as his eyes glowed bright red.

The mace crashed forwards, sending the rocks flying in a wave around it when it was caught. The demonbeasts in the crowds were on the edge of their seats as they watched the little dark blue puffball hold the mace that weighed over hundreds of pounds over his head as easily as if it had been made of cardboard. Masher looked down just as its own weapon came flying back towards it, clashing into its body and knocking it over as it was plowed through the ground, the rocks forced aside when it crossed through the barrier. Unable to move, its body was electrified until each of its vital wires was burned through, all programmed disks overloaded. Its chest exploded open as black smoke billowed out, defeated.

Fire Lion sprang forward, tearing through his wings. Meta-K02 pulled away, only for its massive paws to slam down on him like a cat catching a mouse.

The fire seared over his body, and his mouth opened to scream, not one sound coming from his mute mouth. The wild cat lifted its paw, leaning its head forward. Meta-K02 looked down to see that the armor had kept most of his body unburned, its metal not made of iron like he had previously thought but instead of some fire resistant material.

Meta-K02 rolled to the side as Fire Lion swiped away at the terrain with its brutal power, just missing him as he got back on to his feet. Gritting his teeth, he was about to charge forward for another attempted attack when a shadow fell across him. He looked up, his eyes flashing orange in surprise as Bugzzy's club swung down. The crowds fell silent, expecting that this was the end of the unfortunate tale of Project Meta-K02, the failure…when they watched Bugzzy's arm sway, his arm forced upwards as its club began lifting, a rather flattened Meta-K02 exerting his full unnatural strength that had been given to him. Using his back to give more support to his efforts, the heavy stone club slowly lifted into the air and off of his body, raising it high above his head. Bugzzy's eyes widened, using both arms to combat the dark blue puffball.

Meta-K02 swung the club outward, smacking into the gladiator demonbeast's side and knocking it over. He flew into the air, twirling the club above him as Bugzzy got up and held its saber out, clacking its mandibles together.

As if it had been a baseball bat, Meta-K02 released his charged blow, slamming it over Bugzzy's head and cracking its exoskeleton. It slashed out at him, each of its futile swipes missing him. Then, Meta-K02 backed away, drawing the club behind him, his glowing red eyes focusing in on its figure. Suddenly, he struck out, the club striking Bugzzy's lower back and bringing it into the air. Its body tightened into a ball, its only able response. It sailed clear across the field, becoming paralyzed as its body was electrified on the barrier, a fly on a bug zapper. It was dead in seconds, its corpse collapsing to the ground and crumpling, its sword falling from its limp hands.

Grabbing the fallen blade, Meta-K02 held it in the air like a champion above his head, its steel catching the auburn glow from Fire Lion's blazing body. The wildcat crouched down, its tail moving like a steady snake as dark embers fluttered down from its mane.

Without waiting, it charged forwards, leaping into the air. Holding the saber back, Meta-K02 threw its blade in a wide sweep, feeling power within his hands. Nightmare's shades reflected the brilliant arch of light that brushed through the air, growing in size as it went. Fire Lion roared out as the light severed off its limb, its body radiating even more intensely.

It turned to look back, gaping at its wounded body when Meta-K02 stabbed downward into its throat. Its deafening roar filled the Ring as it thrashed under the point of the blade. Meta-K02 held his hand out, letting its heat warm his gloves. He watched as flames began licking the bottom of his hand, almost as in a greeting before he closed his eyes, letting the feeling sweep over him. Fire began to fill his veins as he absorbed the power, burning its way in a long current entwining with electricity. His eyes snapped open, glowing with his added strength. He pressed downwards, finished Fire Lion off. It crumbled away into ashes, the little fires put out gradually by the open, silent wind.

Meta-K02 looked down at his path of destruction, his eyes as red as the flames that ran through him. He finally realized that he had not simply 'taken' the powers from both Kracko and Fire Lion, it had run through his blood from the very beginning, only needing to be awakened in him by the voltage of electricity and the burn of fire.

He finally collapsed on top of a large, flat rock, his head throbbing. As if waking up from a bad dream, his body was shaky, his eyes becoming gold again. His breaths gradually slowed to a calmer rate, taking in as much oxygen as possible. Above him, he watched as demonbeasts all around him roar out in approval, every one of them standing up. Never before had he ever felt like this. A small smile formed across his face, feeling like he did something right. But soon, every spectator fell silent as numbers began appearing on the scoreboard just under Nightmare's stand.

_5…9…0_

He remembered what Customer Service had said, the score was based on technique, special abilities, and finally time. Something told him that the final score was quite poor in contrast to other scores in the past and it was quite evident in the expressions of the demonbeast spectators that his suspicions were true.

He slowly let out his breath, now feeling worthless. For all of his efforts, he only received a 590...out of a thousand…but it had not been fair, he had been terrified. Any points that could have gone to his time score had been used up when he had fought Kracko…but still…his powers had been enough to impress his master…

Nightmare slowly sat up, placing his hands on the railing.

"There's still one more challenger…why hasn't the last cylinder opened?"

Meta-K02 turned, for the first time seeing the massive steel cylinder that loomed behind him. This one was only slightly smaller than the demonbeast Fire Lion's had been. The panels appeared to be stuck, possibly why it would not open.

Nightmare frowned, Scipio caught the glance and making his way through the crowds, searching for some guard to fix the problem. The older, more experienced guards immediately began to move away from the commander, but one unfortunate newly trained one did not understand what was happening and was lifted by the throat and tossed over the railing. The barrier opened up, creating a small breach in its perfect film-like surface before closing up, the guard screaming as he landed on the rocks.

"Go and fix the panelz this instancez!" Scipio commanded, pointing a sharp claw towards the tombstone-like cylinder.

Everyone watched as the guard scampered forwards, unwillingly making his way towards the cylinder. Getting to the back side of it, he began pulling it, trying to get it to move. It remained jammed in place. The guard tried several other places, away from the very front while Scipio continued to yell, before finally, the guard slowly came up to its opening and standing to the side, exerting his strength. The metal began to grind open, first only a small channel of the complete darkness revealed before the guard stood quivering before the foot-wide opening, too terrified to move.

Suddenly, a black form snatched the guard by his legs, pulling him into the void in less than a split second. His screams were cut off by a sickly snap of bones before only silence remained. Everyone watched as the cylinder began to open, the horrible creature emerging.

The color drained away from Meta-K02's face as his eyes came across the bottom of the guard that limply hung at the side of the shadowy creature's mouth before suddenly; the monster rose up on to its hind legs and began drinking. The horrible sound of sucking filled the Ring as the monster, as if drinking through a straw, sucked everything out of the guard, from his blood, his intestines, his mechanical workings, until the guard was nothing but a dry, empty husk. Expanding its mouth, the rest of the guard disappeared forever into the blackness that greeted him. The monster dropped back down to the ground, slowly raising its terrible head.

All around it, Meta-K02 watched as its black particles dripped off of it, burning through the ground like acid. The programmed ground melted away, the evil black particles leeching off of the energy that powered the Ring. The area not directly under it was drained of its gravel tan, replaced by a hologram of a cracked, gray earth.

The monster's glowing eyes brightened intensely as it spotted Meta-K02's shaking body, and slowly, the creature left its cylinder for all spectators to see its true horror. Like leeches, its veins hung outside of its body, pulsing with black particles and sometimes erupting to let fluids drip down on to the ground. Its head, though small compared to its body, was lined with a fearsome row of teeth. With every move, parts of its body fell apart, turning to acid as it sizzled into steam. As it moved forward, a large clump from its abdomen suddenly poured down from its body, more of the vile fluids swelling out of the new opening before the black particles sealed itself.

Customer Service had not announced the name of it; perhaps this horror had no name. From way above him, Meta-K02 could hear the loud speaker drop from the business man's hand. The only figure in the entire Ring that stood up was Nightmare, who bent over the railing, watching intensely.

Without the need of a loud speaker, Nightmare's voice was easily heard far and wide within the Ring as not one living creature stirred.

"Both fighters that stand before us have been brought to life with the very same element: pure negative energy…" He said, his skeleton hand taking a small handful of the blackness from under his cape and allowing it to sift between his fingers and disappear into the air. "While the Prince's heart has been created with this energy, his challenger's full body is made of the very same material. But who is stronger…that is something that cannot be told until victor rises."

Meta-K02 turned back, alarmed to see that the monster was now drawing closer, its shadow falling upon him. Where was that powerful fury that had lent him strength only minutes before? Everything…had deserted him…leaving him only with the deep reservoirs of fear.

With a mighty crash, the creature charged head first, using its thick skull to smash away at the coloring draining terrain. Meta-K02 was thrown off his feet, his head cracking against a hard rock. He scrambled up, climbing up and behind the safety of another as the creature stood up on to its hind legs, searching.

Meta-K02 pressed his back as far as he could into the shadows of the rock, his wings twitching with pain as they were scraped against the rough underside. Cautiously looking behind him, he found that the monster had disappeared. He stopped, unable to breathe. Then, he looked up as loose fragments of rock tumbled down over his shoulders. He gasped, running out as the black particles came crashing down where he had been, the monster turning as it relocated his position and movement.

Meta-K02 had not made it far when he watched a dark circle appear under him, moving in front of him when the monster materialized, emerging out of the ground and stopping him in his tracks. He fell backwards, his eyes flashing orange with surprise.

Slowly, the monster advanced forwards, Meta-K02 leaning back as far as he could as its hideous face came closer, black particles dripping off of its body like some ghastly mutant from a swamp.

Meta-K02's eyes darted for an opening to escape from. The creature had already had him backed up against a rock and it was closing in on him. The only way was rolling underneath it…

The monster suddenly raised its terrible head and lunged forwards. Only one second to act.

Meta-K02 tucked his body as close together, his wings wrapped tight around him as he sprang up into the air, using the rock for an extra boost. He flipped through the air, the tips of his wings just missing the deadly fangs of the shadowy monster before he crashed into the ground, coming to a stop just under its chest. He looked up, flipping on to his front as the black particles spilled out of its body, a few flecks of the acid burning through his arm.

As if from a cannon, Meta-K02 shot out from under it, fighting back tears from the pain as he ran…but as he ran out from under it, the claws on his wings tore at its underside, more black particles dispersing.

It was at that moment, when the black particles thinned out did Meta-K02 stop. He watched as the limp form of a paw disappeared back into the shadowy monster. His mouth hung open slightly, not able to process the thoughts that suddenly flooded his mind. This was not a monster he was fighting; he was fighting the host of the monster, the black particles feeding off of the demonbeast trapped within. This…this must have been a mistake…

Reformed again, the shadowy creature lunged forward, its jaws snapping at him. He rolled to the side, throwing his body out of the way as the monster slammed into the rocks. Meta-K02 flipped back on to his feet, facing the creature. Something in him doubted what he saw. Nightmare would never do such a thing…or would he?

Holding his hands out, he cupped them as he concentrated on the fire within him, his gloves glowing bright red. Instantly, a great ball of flames formed, rotating under his power and leaping forward, he threw it with his full strength.

The fire sphere plummeted downward, the black particles sizzling into steam as they were cooked by the heat. Again, Meta-K02 could make out traces of magenta red fur before it disappeared by the particles that were now spacing themselves out to keep the captive demonbeast hidden.

Meta-K02 gritted his teeth, jumping back as the monster slashed out towards him, his armor preventing him from being sliced. He was about to call out electricity when he remembered that it would kill the demonbeast inside if he tried. He dismissed it, turning back when he was flung into the air viciously, smacking against the barrier and getting zapped. He peeled off like a fly on an electrified fence and collapsed among the rocks.

Weakly supporting himself with his arms, he sat up, gasping as he watched the monster charging towards him. His first reaction was to back away, stopping at the last moment to remember that if he took another step back he would be cross the barrier once again and further burn himself.

The monster pounced, its front claws stretching out to sink into his body. Meta-K02 ducked, curling into a ball as he rolled under the creature, out into safety when the monster smashed into the barrier. He watched as electrical charges crackle around it as the creature leapt back. Its body swayed from the force when one of its legs gave away, the rest of the monster falling to the rocks along with it.

Meta-K02's eyes focused in on the heavily bleeding limp paw that once again appeared. He ran forwards, grabbing it. Then, he began to pull, pulling the demonbeast out with all of his unnatural strength. The black particles seemed to hiss at him, coiling around his arms as he pulled. Using the back of his feet to gain more ground, he stepped back one foot at a time. The demonbeasts in the crowd gasped, crowding around the front stands as they watched the paw appear, followed by a furry arm, a head, and slowly, the body. The demonbeast was a wolf of dark red fur. Spikes protruded out of its back, gleaming with blood. The entire demonbeast was bleeding, appearing to have been slashed over and over again repeatedly. Its emerald gem that was embedded into its forehead faintly glowed, more and more of the glass-like surface darkening. Around its closed eyes, fiery markings were etched, burning to the touch. Finally, with a final heave, the demonbeast collapsed to the ground with a wild gush of fluids that all spouted out along with it, the black particles still clinging to its body.

Meta-K02 let his eyes scan over it, analyzing status and identification number.

_Category: A-382…Status: 0.83…Identification number: 38292940__…__Gender: female…_

He stopped because the demonbeast slowly opened her eyes, her voice coming out weakly.

"_My pups…my pups…" _The wolf said, choking out blood that was darkening with every moment. _"My poor babies…"_

Meta-K02 ran his hand through her fur, feeling the rise in her chest lessen before the wolf fell silent, her eyes clouding over. The large emerald gem set in her forehead faded, a large crack tearing its way down its center. He watched as the black particles disperse from out of her body, their host no longer providing the essential conditions they needed to thrive and leech off of others.

Guards suddenly appeared from every entrance in the spectator stands, herding the demonbeasts out. Not one of them said a word and the only sounds were the scuffling of their feet as they bustled out. They knew it…they knew the reason why…but they all silently went away, without a second glance at a demonbeast that once stood alongside each and every one of them.

Meta-K02 watched them. He did not understand. Why? Why did they disregard such a devastating end to this demonbeast? Was it because they were too remorseful to turn back, or was there something more…something that each one of them feared?

He glanced up towards Nightmare's stand to find it vacant. Nightmare was gone; having left the moment he watched his finest creation do something unspeakable in front of live recording cameras that his entire empire would see: revealing the hidden side of Nightmare Enterprises that displayed what had happened to all the missing demonbeasts.

As the final demonbeasts exited the Ring, Scipio came up to the railings of the front stands and flicked off a large switch. The barriers gave a long '_blitz_' sound before they vanished. The lizard jumped down, landing with a heavy blow, his tail slamming against the rocks before he came forwards to the unmoving dark blue puffball.

"Aboutz time you finally show your true abilitiez," Scipio remarked before disappearing into the shadows.

* * *

The body was removed within a matter of moments, the blood stained area around the lifeless wolf bleached and wiped away. The programmed rocky terrain, now so clean that someone could eat off of it, held no trace of death.

Meta-K02 watched the crew of demonbeasts wearing their heavy masks and bodysuits take away the body to be burned and remove all evidence. He remained sitting on a flat rock, his eyes staring down at the ground. Now that he thought about it, he had not been given his true score after the final demonbeast…but it would not have raised his pitiful five hundred and ninety points any higher, more likely turning it to a complete, unloving, unfriendly, strict zero.

He slowly bent down and scooped up a handful of the sediment rock, letting it slide back to the ground like blowing sand. He did not understand…it had not been a mistake. That demonbeast was intentionally kept as a prisoner, used as a mere pawn before it finally fell, no longer able to serve...

Dark Nebula only cackled from inside of his chest.

"_That demonbeast was asking for it. All who fail to satisfy our great lord will be placed back into service…as this. They all know it, so there is no place to plead for their life before the noose."_

Behind him, a guard stamped the ground with the flat end of his spear, giving a quick bow to the Prince before speaking.

"Prince, Lord Nightmare is waiting. You are to follow me."

Nightmare was indeed waiting, but rather impatiently as Meta-K02 followed the guard up the long set of stairs and onto a wide landing platform where a black carriage-like transporter was set. Incredibly close to resembling a horse-drawn carriage, it copied a fancy shield of arms, a large 'N' written at its very center. Inside, he could see plush seats hidden behind a thin, dark curtain. The only thing that it lacked was an actual horse. Instead, an orb of light took its place, and it slowly rotated within a sphere-like cage that closed around it.

Nightmare did not even look at him and he silently turned towards it, a servant opening the coach's door. Meta-K02 stood there, unsure of what to do when a guard nudged him forward with the blunt end of his spear. He slowly walked up the red carpeted path and up the small stairs, sitting down across from his creator. The door closed and with a small lurch, the coach began moving.

Meta-K02 could not help but immediately stand up, pressing his hands to the small window as he watched the city of Nightmare Enterprise pass by. The coach had been set along a thin track that crossed over the width of the city from the Ring to the looming tower at the very center of Nightmare Enterprise, giving Meta-K02 a view that left him in awe.

This world…was larger than he had previously imagined. How far did it stretch, he did not know. The endless black dome of twinkling lights seemed to answer it for him.

"Sit down," Nightmare hissed, between clenched teeth.

Meta-K02 slowly tore himself away from the window and sat down, cowering under the continuous gaze of Nightmare who suddenly had the interest to criticize him for everything he did. He shifted uncomfortably as a full minute went by in silence.

"When you sit, you sit still. No fidgeting, no slouching, no leaning. You are the High _Prince, _not some low level, inferior boy!"

Outside, the buildings below them were passing by at an even quicker rate, but surprisingly, the coach was completely still, as if it had not been moving at all. Meta-K02, in that silence, could feel the anger that swarmed around his creator. Nightmare was upset.

"You had some nerve to do what you did back there…_in front…of….my…empire!_"

Had he been able to speak, he would have let out a quiet apology, but seeing the anger fume out of his master, there was no asking for forgiveness. He was trapped in a dangerous position, any response likely to get him punished...but one thought would not leave his mind and it slipped through his grasp, ringing like an echo through his mind.

_Why?_

Nightmare stopped, reading his thoughts. Meta-K02 pressed himself as far back as he could into the plush cushions as he watched his creator close his fist tightly, his dark shades flashing. Nightmare suddenly leaned forward, his sharp claw-like fingers scraping against the puffball's armor as he lifted him up clear out of his seat.

"Why? You dare ask me _why?" _Nightmare shouted. "You impudent little thing!"

In his grasp, Meta-K02 began to cry silently, his body trembling. A violent shudder ran along his back as Nightmare raised his voice.

"The demonbeasts look at you as a representation of _me. _So don't you dare cry nor do anything foolish before my subjects!"

Meta-K02 was dropped harshly and he quivered in the corner of the seat, covering his head with his wings. Slowly, he wiped away the fluids that were coming from his eyes and looked down to see his glove now red. His tears…they were made of blood…

Neither he, nor Nightmare said a word for the rest of the time before the coach came to a halt, arriving at the central tower of Nightmare Enterprise.

A servant was waiting on the landing platform and immediately after the coach came to a full stop, the demonbeast opened the doors and stood back, allowing the two to step out on to the wide platform leading to the central tower of Nightmare Enterprises. The dark blue puffball kept his distance from Nightmare from fear of being yelled at, but as soon as he looked up, Meta-K02 could not help but stop, gazing up to the very top of the fearsome monarch-like structure that ruled over all other buildings in the world that Meta-K02 knew. Nightmare turned, his dark shades flashing.

"Do not waste my precious time," He hissed once again, this time seemingly less hostile, though that only made the dark blue puffball more nervous. "You test my patience."

Meta-K02 tottered forwards, his walking becoming stiff. Nightmare waited until the dark blue puffball was in front of him before he placed his frigid hands on Meta-K02's shoulder to ensure that he would not try to run away.

But no matter Nightmare could ever try, Meta-K02 continued to expand his knowledge of the true definition of: world. It seemed so long ago since when he had first thought that this cold, unfriendly world only consisted of his test tube and its room, perhaps only slightly larger than that. Seeing the Ring had only enlarged his grasp of a possibly larger world. Nothing he had imagined came close to what he was seeing now. Perhaps out there…even further than Nightmare Enterprises…there were more places…even larger than the city…even more spectacular…

They entered the tower, the heavy metal doors slowly opening by themselves. The doors themselves towered far above them, heavily adorned with designs. Two guards, both in full armor, were waiting as they approached them. The guards were so still that if there had been any wind, it could have blown them over.

Nightmare slowly pointed at Meta-K02, his skeleton-like hands like a knife positioning itself to be stabbed into a victim.

"Lock him in the high tower room," His voice edged with anger and threat. "He needs to learn his manners; such improper displays shall be ceased."

**A/N: **Ooh…that doesn't sound too good for Meta-K02…

For some reason, I don't think the flow was very good…ugh…looks like more editing to do.

Customer Service…Kracko…Masher…Fire Lion…Bugzzy…more characters from the anime to expand this story. I selected Kracko and Fire Lion as challengers for a very specific reason which shall be revealed later on.

Not exactly the most original idea to have Meta-K02 fight like a gladiator in a Coliseum, but hey, it was cool enough. I think it made for a good scene to begin learning his powers and it especially goes well with demonbeasts like Bugzzy since Bugzzy is a gladiator type demonbeast. He also now has his signature gloves that he will continue to wear for the years to come.

This is probably all I'm going to be able to update for a few days because I'm finally returning home after a month's stay in China. The fourteen hour airplane flight is definitely something I will not look forward to.

Please review! **Constructive criticism highly requested! Beta readers as well!**


	3. Chapter III: New Recruit

**A/N: I'm back from my little break. **During the start of the school year, I'm away at sports and like last year, I was unable to really update any of my stories. Now that I've gotten into more of the writing mood again, I can get focused.

Before I continue with this author note, let me warn you as a reader right now, **both the top and bottom author notes may get a little lengthy, but I do have some important things to say...**(for once…)

The chapter starts out with…no, not Meta-K02, but another. If anyone remembers, Hardy was the dentist demonbeast that appeared in episode 32, I believe, when Dedede and Bun got cavities and ordered him. There was one thing about Hardy that still has me thinking…

_Hardy wasn't evil._

While some demonbeasts in the anime easily passed as 'evilest of the evil', not all of them seemed to be that…bad. Hardy even smiled when Bun thanked him for getting rid of his cavities and I felt almost bad for the poor guy when Kirby had to go get rid of him.

The main goal of this chapter was to really reveal the views and thoughts of the demonbeasts and some of their lifestyles.

**A thing that may prove useful for you readers, especially if you cannot recall some of the lesser remembered demonbeasts, to go to some site where you can easily look up the demonbeasts that show up in this story.** I suggest Kirby Wiki since it has the complete demonbeast list.

I have already planned out to use several of them from the anime and will not be creating any OCs. The names of the demonbeasts MAY be changed a little to fit the story better. I will have a brief info section on each demonbeast at the bottom author notes if the demonbeast mentioned is not well known.

**Disclaimer: **Cosmicgiraffe does not own any characters mentioned in this chapter. All characters, excluding Scipio, belong to their respected owners, including HAL and Nintendo. Cosmicgiraffe does not own any third party rights over the Kirby franchise. Plot is fan-based by Cosmicgiraffe.

**X—X—X**

**-Chapter 3: New Recruit-**

Hardy carefully slid himself down a few more steps, feeling the rusted iron panels bend slightly under his weight. Already, he had lowered himself seventy eight floor levels. He came out to another landing with a split path, one a walkway stretching over the vast expanse of darkness and the other leading back to the spiral staircase continuing to lead downward. He glanced at the sign post's digital display.

_57_

He felt his heart sink. He still had three more street levels to go. To descend down further and further away from the comfort of the bright neon signs, street posts, and trafficking cars in their sky lanes and to venture down into the 'bad neighborhood' made him feel edgy. He needed street level 54, and until he reached it, he would have to push forward and remind himself of the horrors he had just escaped from.

Two animal type females strutted by, glanced at him and giggled, smiling maliciously at him with their large pursy lips. Their slurred words were too difficult for him to make out and he ignored them, starting back down the stairs.

By now after climbing down 51 flights of stairs, he should have been more at ease, but he still could not feel comforted, for each street level was a complete new world…

The floor numbers at each level was unneeded, because the stairs and streets told it all. From the one hundred and seventh floor of the city, his home level, the stairs had been made out of copper and were relatively well kept. The people were nice, not extremely talkative, but well mannered in the course of actions and words. Most of them held small jobs and were no more than simple accountants, clerks, or dentists like he was. Upon descending down a few floors, he was met with a group of demonbeasts of an entirely different social class. Many of the people here were mechanics and plumbers, workers of the labor class.

The builders' level could easily be heard long before he reached it. Large wheels of saws grinded through metal sheets to be sent down to the factory workers two floors below them for the materials to be made into products that would later be sent all the way to the higher social class levels.

From floor to floor, the workers changed…the talk changed…the dress changed…the social classes could not have been any more well divided up than they already were. Every last demonbeast seemed to be carefully cataloged…

_56_

Hardy peeked out into the streets lined with bars and pubs. For the last 12 levels, nothing really had changed. The demonbeasts here wore open necked shirts, low waist pants and skirts, and long heavy chains of gold and silver around their necks…highly appalling to one from a life of strict formal wear and rather distant relationships.

The sounds of gunfire and a fight breaking out in one of the nearer bars made Hardy retreat back to the stairs and to continue his way downward.

His hands were long sore from clutching the railings up to the point the flimsy bar could have snapped off and he felt dizzy looked back up from all the way he had come. He stood there, looking up at the heavenly lights…why was this world so dark? A low sinking feeling filled his body…as if he had ventured down into a mine…he was afraid for whatever was going to happen next…afraid to turn back…and afraid to go forward. The lone message that had showed up in the inbox of his phone had saved his life. He was so sure of that.

The scariest part of it was probably the fact that it had come just seconds after his boss gave the word that he was fired and left jobless…

He slowly popped open his cell phone, scrolling through the assorted directions the same, unknown caller had left until he found the very first one. Opening it, he read its eerie message.

"_To stay alive, leave your office NOW!"_

Upon reading it for the first time, Hardy had thought there was some bomb threat and he had run out of his office with only a few of the papers he had planned to take with him in his briefcase and a hat. Moments after disappearing around the walls of the cubicles in the work place, he heard the doors of his office smashed down and shouts filling the air. It was at that moment did Hardy realize he was being hunted down…by the Imperial Police…

_Keep going…keep going…_ Hardy thought, pushing himself to get the guts to face whatever lay ahead.

_55_

His body was back to shaking now. He was just one level away…

The dentist-demonbeast began to walk more slowly, fear renewing itself in him. If only he had more courage…

"Could ye' a walkin' any slower?"

Hardy's first instinctive reaction in the darkness was for the small lamp he used to see into his patients' mouths to turn on. As it did, the bright light caught the drunk buffalo demonbeast full in the face and he cursed, swatting the lamp away with a hoof. Hardy clattered down the rest of the stairs before he burst out on to level 54, gasping out. Behind him, the buffalo roughly shoved him out of the way and came past him, rubbing his eyes.

"D***upper city folk…"

Hardy grimaced, wiping the soot off his gloves as he watched the other demonbeast disappear into the cover of the shadows, still cursing.

He looked back to the stairs and was stunned to find no further stairs led down. Level 54 was the final floor level of the entire city…whatever happened to level 53, level 52, or any level down, he could not imagine. Seeing that the two hundred-story buildings were built upon level after level, he guessed that the rest of the building below was only to hold up the immense weight of the rest of it. If there truly was a first floor, he would never get the chance to know because at that moment, he caught sight of a figure standing out in the street…waiting for him. It was hardly the size of a laptop computer standing upright, but a demonbeast no less. As soon as he saw the figure, it began walking away towards a building not too far from where he stood now.

Hardy gulped, glancing down at his phone.

_Follow him. _

He gasped out, holding the drill on his back out in front of him, looking from shadow to shadow. _These people were watching him_!

But even so, he came forwards and entered the building, the door shutting behind him without a sound.

Complete darkness surrounded him. Not even the streets were as dark as this. Hardy could only hear his heavy breathing and the mechanical heart in his chest beating loudly. Then, glaring lights shone down on him, blinding him. He squinted, unable to see anything.

"NAME."

The voice shook the room, making Hardy jump. His heart nearly stopped, leaving his body frozen to where he stood.

"Hardy…just Hardy…" He squeaked.

"JOB."

"A simple dentist…nothing more!"

"YOU KNOW WHY HERE?"

"No Sir! I know nothing!" Hardy cried out, feeling obligated to call this speaker of the deafening voice a formal title.

A long pause came before the voice came back, even louder.

"DROP PHONE."

Something by his feet clattered to the floor and Hardy glanced downward at his phone that had fallen from his shaking hand. He watched as the same small figure that had led him in, come and take the phone and brought it back with him into the darkness. Before he could say anything, the thunderous voice returned.

"YOU WATCHED. HOW FEEL?"

"Not good Sir…"

"PHONE. BODY. ALL WATCHED."

"Yes Sir…"

"EMAIL. THOUGHTS. TALK. ALL WATCHED."

"I'm aware of it Sir…"

"YOU BELIEVE IN?"

"What?"

"YOU BELIEVE IN?" The god-like voice boomed again, not bothering to explain.

"POLICE COME. KNOW WHY?"

"No…" Hardy choked out.

This was the answer that he was afraid to hear. These people knew the reason…

"YOU SOLD. BUYER CALL UP NME. POLICE TELL BOSS FIRE YOU, THEN COME GET YOU."

"Sold? To who?"

"BUYER FROM UNIVERSE."

Sold…the thought of it alarmed him. What did this voice mean by 'sold'? Did someone literally put him up for sale in some catalog for buyers to just come and _buy_ him?

"What do you guys want from me?" Hardy said with a trembling voice.

"JOIN. FIGHT CROWN. FREE PEOPLE. NO MORE SELL. LIVE FREE."

Rebel against the Crown? Rebel against Lord Nightmare and his still yet to be crowned prince? He stood up, backing away towards the doors.

"I…I don't want to be a part of this…"

"TURN NOW. POLICE COME. SEND YOU TO **E**."

Hardy's hand froze from where it was in the air, reaching towards the door. This voice had just said the evil word…the **E**.

In demonbeast society, you never, ever spoke of the **E**. The **E **was the place to die; he remembered one demonbeast put it. The demonbeast Hell. No one knew what its 'E' stood for, but the single, stand-alone letter was powerful enough to bring a noisy room down to silence.

The **E** was not just some imagined place, it stood as a single tombstone, the distance of a good mile or so between it and its neighboring building. Demonbeasts who worked in buildings nearby said the place rotted with the smell of death. Maybe that part was stretched a bit, but its building was true enough. All those sent to the **E**, always demonbeasts who were going to be put to death and sick and elderly demonbeasts…

Hardy collapsed to the floor, sobbing out. He could not hold it back. Fear had taken over him and he was left with nothing. He could see it now, he would forever be trapped, left to roam about these dark streets and to beg for a few coins to survive…but above him, a new voice came.

"Aw…Duston. Ya' made the guy cry…"

"SORRY…"

The lights were turned on and Hardy looked up to see two figures before him. The smaller one jumped up on to the larger one's shoulder before turning back to him.

"We just get the big guy ta' do all the talkin' cause he's the scariest. He's really a good guy…but kinda' dumb…"

Then, the larger figure tossed back Hardy his phone and he leapt to catch it before it smashed to the ground. The figure was about to talk when his smaller co-worker nudged him and instead continued talking.

"Hey, we took the listenin' device out, you can make free phone calls now without anybody listenin' in…and as long as ya' don't go back, the Imperial Police won't get ya' for it."

"JOIN?"

Hardy looked back at the two, still trembling. These two struck him as a rather odd pair. They did not seem as threatening as they had seemed in the darkness…but what was this group? Some kind of rebellious organization? He was not so sure he wanted to mix himself in with these kinds of things…

"But…why did you send for me? I don't understand…"

"Hey, look. Someone on the run from the police is probably the few whose eva' goin' to agree with us that we need to break free from Lord Nightmare. Everybody else is gunna' be too scared to do anythin'. I was once in that spot too. I didn't mind being ruled o'er that much…oh, but man, things change…"

Making big judgments had never been easy things for Hardy to make. Each time he was about to tell his answer, he held it back, trying to weigh the options around him for the less painful path. These two seemed like they were in the same position as he was: wanted demonbeasts on the run from the police…but to fight the Crown? That was beyond absurd!

…but then again, wasn't this a worthy cause that he always imagined a great hero would fight for? He was far from being a adequate sidekick, much less a hero…maybe this was not a good idea...

By now, the smaller demonbeast was tired of waiting and he leapt down, his shrill voice coming straight at Hardy's face.

"Hurry up and make the stupid decision already! You don't got no choice either way. Turn back, the cops will get ya'. Join us and you can make yourself useful."

"Alright…" He said hoarsely at last. "I'll join…"

Then, the larger demonbeast came and gave him a hearty thwack across the back.

"GOOD YOU JOIN."

Then, the smaller demonbeast slowly smiled.

"Welcome to the Anti-Loyalists. We've gotta' mission for ya'."

* * *

Nightmare watched Meta-K02 be dragged away, carried by the two guards. For a few moments, his fists curled with anger, but then slowly…slowly, his face fell into an unreadable one.

Meta-K02's small gold eyes continued to look at him, pleading for some mercy before Nightmare turned, unable to bear watching him be taken away with such disgrace. His master drifted off, disappearing into the darkness without looking back.

The guards moved quickly, leaving no time for Meta-K02 to stay and watch.

They took his down a few halls, down into a room where assorted handcuffs were storage away in what resembled a long filing cabinet that could be pulled out from the wall. The guards selected one and placed them around his wrists before shuffling him out of the room, now only needing one guard to drag him along while the other walked behind him.

Meta-K02 had never seen so many halls…each with so many rooms before…he hadn't had the chance to do so until now. Somehow, he missed living in a smaller world where everything had been comforting…but he hadn't appreciated it then. He wondered if he'd ever appreciate this larger one.

They took him into a second strange room with carpeted flooring and a panel full of buttons on the side. The guard on his left pushed on the top one and the entire room began to lift. Meta-K02 got the strangest sensation as the room ascended and his stomach churned. His body swayed slightly before the guard holding his handcuffs pulled him upright.

"Never been in an elevator before, huh?"

That was the first and last thing that guard said to him. His hostile glare made Meta-K02 cower back to looking at the floor. Finally, after a long minute of silence, the doors opened before a small hallway with a single door before them. The guards unlocked the door by typing in a password, took the handcuffs off of him, and threw him into the room.

Meta-K02 landed on his face, looking up only to watch the door close and lock itself. Slowly sitting up, he looked around the bare room. The room was empty, most likely an extra room that never was used and just left alone. The only notable piece in the cylinder shaped room was a wide window on the far side of the room where the pale glows of the neon lighted city shone through. He turned back to the door, deciding that there was no way of getting out, and came over to the window. He jumped up on to the window seat, gazing out into the city.

He had thought he had seen everything of the city, but now was proven wrong. From the very base of the palace all the way to the horizon line, all he could see were buildings in their spectacular lights. Why was everything down there so colorful when everything in the palace was not? He was awed by the new hues and shades of the lights…

Something up in the sky made him turn away from the fantastical colors and to stare hard out into the darkness of space. Gradually, he could see the small white dots that glowed dimly in the dome of black. He wondered what happened to those lights. Somehow, they did not look like that they were mechanical or an electronic device that had been connected up to the sky…everything in his world was artificial…perhaps they were banished neon signs because they didn't work?

Although he would not realize it until the due amount of time passed, he would remain in the room for several days…no one coming into the room or leaving it…as if he had been forgotten…

The two foremens entered the empty room, looking about them as they set down their work bags. The cylinder shaped tower room had remained empty for far too long and now that the extra space was needed, the room would need renovating.

They set about taking measurement of the room, locating the various pipes and wires that were hidden behind the wall with their equipment. Neither of them noticed that they were not alone…behind them, a small figure stood.

Finally, the leopard demonbeast stood up and turned around, stopping as he saw the small blue puffball who looked up blankly at them.

"Hey, Darrel, there's a kid here…think he's lost?"

"What's your name, kid? You from the palace?"

The puffball did not say anything but kept looking at them. His mouth was halfway open, panting a little like a thirsty animal. Darrel opened his canteen of water, offering it. As his hand came out, the puffball suddenly came at him and bit him hard.

"Ouch! God! The kid's got teeth like a shark!"

He wrenched his hand away, looking at his arm were the puffball had sank his teeth into. Two drops of blood formed, gleaming in the small amount of light.

The puffball wiped his mouth, his small white canine teeth exposed as he grinned eerily. Then, he let out a low hiss, his wings opening up. The two demonbeasts stood up as the puffball stepped back a few paces.

Then, the puffball leapt into the air.

Screams filled the room as he attacked them. The puffball went for the leopard demonbeast's throat, landing his teeth on the target and ripping away. With a gurgled cry, the demonbeast collapsed to the floor, blood pooling around him.

The other foreman was left cowering against the wall as he watched his co-worker die before his eyes. Then, the puffball turned, his red eyes gazing towards him.

He made a run for the door, panicked tears streaming from his eyes when his leg was pulled back. He fell to the floor as the puffball grabbed him, not letting go. The foreman screamed out as the puffball came forward, trying to get at his neck. He kicked the terror off of him, snatching his phone out of his bag and dialing the only number that he could about…the Imperial Officer Station number.

He watched as the puffball rise up again, wings opening up. He couldn't move…

"Imperial Officer Station. How may we help-"

He never got the chance to say any words. His last screams were the only thing that the officer answering his call heard before the line went dead.

* * *

Customer Service swore under his breath as coded inscription filled the screen. The holographic display flickered as he pounded his fists against the control panel. He stared at his digital watch, unable to sit down and handle things at his own leisure with valuable time ticking away. Without even looking away from the screen as its server error stubbornly appeared, he kicked at his executive chair and let it go spinning off into the darkness of the room.

He rolled up his sleeves and began to type, his fingers flying across the keys. He submitted it and waited. The computer considered his input painfully slow…growing slower and slower with computers at ever Imperial Officer station connecting to the network to respond to the distress call that had been sent from one of the palace towers. To beat the majority of them to a few moments on the network was crucial to everything he had.

Then, the same error message appeared on the screen.

_You are not authorized to access admission to this database. Contact an administrator for further assistance…_

This was his own computer that was not allowing him to log in! Grabbing his cell phone out of his pocket, Customer Service quickly dialed in one of the few phone numbers he knew at the top of his head.

"Bonjour?"

"Goan," Customer Service gasped out. "Get me an open service line on the network! I got here too slow!"

He heard Monsieur Goan get to work on the other side of the line and he imagined his friend's six arms each working at a different computer. Then, his own computer began clearing up, all of its error messages disappearing and soon, was replaced with the familiar desktop. Customer Service grinned, opening up the network. Immediately, he was met with the same distress call message and the floor plan of the palace with a pinpoint focusing on the eastern tower room.

Then, into his phone, he said,

"One more thing: get me Scipio's coordinates…_exact_ coordinates."

Moments later, a box opened up on the monitor and a pair of numbers appeared, one the X-Coordinate and the other the Y-Coordinate. Customer Service watched as the X-Coordinate continually increased, signifying that Scipio was running along one of the corridors.

"Goan, you're incredible. Signing off. Get up to my office and meet the others back at the room."

He entered the coordinates in, and the system immediately located the security cameras in the same hall way, centering on Scipio and his guards…

Down in area H-243, Scipio's eyes narrowed as he ran past dead and wounded guards that lay across the hall. Three intruders against sixty-seven Imperial Guards…

_Unbelievable…the lot of them…_

A low moan at his side made him turn to a guard with four bullet wounds on his hips and arm. A low ranked officer…Scipio could tell that from how young the falcon-demonbeast was. He came forward and picked the guard up by the throat, bringing the struggling figure close to his scarred face.

"Wherez are theyz?" He hissed.

If he could just get an answer from the guard, maybe he would not have to waste so much time with these fools…while these men sat around and complained, the intruders were getting away…

"Who?"

"THE INTRUDERZ!" Scipio roared, shaking the unfortunate guard violently.

The guard suddenly fell limp and Scipio realized he just killed the man. Releasing him, he turned to the survivors who all immediately pointed down the hall to the left, still gawking at their dead associate. The commander turned back to his own group, who all flinched into rigid attention.

"Two of youz to ze other hallz…the rest of youz, come with me! Any demonbeast doing suspiciouz thingz iz to be arrested!"

He watched as the men divided themselves and set straight away to investigate the other halls. Then, Scipio and his men continued, their boots thundering down the hall.

They came past screaming demonbeast maids whose laundry baskets had been disturbed and left lying on the floor along the path of blood.

The Imperial Officers just came out into a new hallway when the emergency lock gates slammed down in front of them and behind them. The guards were thrown into disarray, unsure of what to do.

"What iz the meaning of zis?" Scipio shouted, gazing eye to eye with the security camera watching them. "Openz up the gatez!"

Customer Service swallowed, trying to keep his confidence from failing. Trying to keep eye contact with the lizard general and staying calm was easier said than done. Then, putting on his best voice of authority, he spoke into the intercom.

"We apologize. The gates will be opened momentarily…"

_Could I have said anything stupider than that? _Customer Service thought.

Scipio began swearing loudly, threatening and cursing. Customer Service was rather impressed by the threats the lizard came up with in his anger and frustration, although horrified at the word of them. Scipio stopped, breathing heavily but still staring at the screen. He turned, came up to the metal gate, and began hammering against it with his tail.

His tail was heavy and Customer Service was stunned as he watched the gate start to cave in under the power. He now saw how easily Scipio had been able to snap one demonbeast's spine from a long while ago. Anything trying to fight against that kind of power would surely perish.

The gate was now lifting up slightly off the floor, unable to fight Scipio. The other guards just stood back and watched with awe as their leader physically took care of it himself. Then, he stopped hammering and moved off screen where Customer Service could not see from the security camera.

He leaned forward, trying to see what the lizard was doing when the camera was ripped off the wall, leaving the screen with static bits of black and white.

Scipio hadn't been stopped…Duston, Walky, and the new guy would be in trouble…he couldn't do anything about it but hope that the Imperial Guards had been stopped long enough when suddenly, the door to his office slammed open.

"Freeze!"

Customer Service gasped as he looked behind him to face two Imperial Guards with their guns drawn out, pointed at him.

"Put your hands behind your head and stand by the wall!"

Thoughts swam through his head as he followed their order, shaking hard. They caught him stopping Imperial Officers…the punishment for that could not have been any less than a horrible death for treason.

They handcuffed him, jabbing their guns into his back.

"Caught one of the rebels…but say, your Customer Service…answer me."

"Y…yes…"

"This is going to be good…Lord Nightmare's is going to love-"

Gun shots sounded and Customer Service felt the two guards drop dead behind him. He turned, meeting Monsieur Goan's gaze as he lowered his pistol.

"Goan!" Customer Service cried out.

Monsieur Goan rushed over after closing the door behind him and unlocked the handcuffs and shuffling the dead bodies away. He brought his chair over and Customer Service collapsed into it, feeling his wrists. But pain wasn't the top thing on his mind as of now; more important issues came to mind.

"Do you think I've lost my cover? Like…that those guards were ordered by someone else who knew? "

"Peut-être…"

"Goan, you're no help. Couldn't you have gotten here any earlier?"

Monsieur Goan sighed, shaking his head. Customer Service held his head in his hands for a few minutes before he breathed out, turning back to the flickering screen.

"This won't be good…I hope Duston and Walky…and that new guy have gotten past the other guards..."

* * *

Hardy cringed as glass shards flew into the air, the wailing alarms ringing in his head. All the palace walls were bathed in blood red with each flash, a rather unwelcoming reception to his first visit to such a grand citadel. Ahead of him, his two new co-workers were standing back to back at the intersection and firing away at the Imperial Guards, forcing them to take cover. Shouts came and the cries of wounded guards filled the hall.

Duston was doing the actual labor of shooting and an experienced work of it too. He stood taller than the demonbeasts around him, composed of nothing more than a trashcan body with arms and legs. The trashcan lid formed the roof of his mouth with his furrowed eyes resting on top. Chains of ammunition were strapped across his back, flailing wildly as a flag would in a violent storm…though the heavy weaponry was almost unnecessary-Duston's body reeked with the smell of decaying matter and it alone was strong enough to cause faint headedness…but only for the guards who were all animal type demonbeasts.

Completely oblivious to the stench, Walky jumped up on to Duston's shoulders, his shrill voice shouting out as a few daring guards came out and battered the metal walls with bullets. The small microphone demonbeast was not a new face to Hardy…and he was probably the most shocking face. Less than a month ago, he recalled that this pop-singing star had finished his twenty-third album and to see him now…fighting against Imperial Officers was something Hardy could not comprehend.

Amidst the fray, Hardy was the only one standing there, not useful to really anything…but to be part of the shooting, he'd gladly choose to stand aside. He held glanced down at his unused revolver gun…the replacement of the comforting dental tools in his collection that he so proudly cherished. Also with him was a black sack, special electron-charged ropes, and a muzzle…all part of the mission, he was told. All part of the mission…

"New guy!" Walky shouted to him. "Get yer' hide outta' the way! There's guards comin' behind ya'!"

Hardy looked back, crying out as a bullet shot past his single eye. Not needing a second warning, he darted past Duston and Walky and out of the line of gunfire. The two soon followed after him, firing a few shots back at the guards before catching up to Hardy, even passing him.

"You gunna' get shot in the head if you don't get runnin'!" Walky called out. "Look out!"

Hardy ducked his head as bullets were fired, missing him and bombarding the metal walls. In his haste, his foot slipped and he skidded across the broken glass that had fallen from the various security cameras Duston had fired at. He came sliding around the corner, finally scrambling back on to his feet. A compartment on his dentist-specialized body snapped open and dental fluoride spilled out across the floor.

The Imperial Guards burst out, taking the sharp turn and slipped. The front men fell, causing the men behind them to fall on top of them. For any guard left standing, they were drawn to a halt by the confusion.

Hardy grinned, feeling self-pride when he slammed into a wall. He looked up with a dazed expression with Walky shouting to him.

"Don't gloat o'er the gun shot until the battle's been won!"

Hardy blinked back and got up, leaving the guards to swear and curse at one another as they tried to pull themselves free and reorganize their force.

A few hallways down, they stopped and Hardy bent over to catch his breath.

"We must have lost them…"

"Maybe _them_, but more are gunna' be comin'!" Walky answered.

"LESS TALK. MORE RUN." Duston said, looking around them and down the hallways.

"Yeah, big guy, but we still gotta' find where the heck they put elevators around 'ere! There's only one elevator line that goes up to the tower…Boss shoulda' given us more directions…"

Hardy quickly scanned the area, stopping upon sight of a single bulb that lighted a small patch of hall down the longest one where a door with a large panel resided…

Walky was still talking to Duston in a quiet voice when Hardy turned back to go relate his findings.

"…and worst thing now is if Scipio comes…or gets there first…Boss said to watch out for 'im…"

"Hey," Hardy broke in before Walky could say anything more and pointed to the doors. "Isn't that an elevator?"

All three of them turned to the glowing doors…just as Imperial Guards appeared on the other end of the hall, staring back at them.

"Speak of the devil, look whose here…" Walky growled.

Commander Scipio pushed his way forward to see why his men had so suddenly stopped and looked up at them. No one moved for a full moment before Scipio roared out.

"ARRESTZ THEM!"

"Go, go, GO!" Walky shouted.

Both sides charged forward, each running to be the first to reach the elevators. The Imperial Guards all had their spears and pikes out as they ran, a wall of certain death. One failure…and it would be over…

Duston snatched Hardy off of his feet and Walky jumped on just as the trashcan demonbeast let Hardy go skidding down the hall like a bowling ball in its alley. Walky controlled the direction, using his own body to tilt Hardy to the side as if he was riding a surf board and jumped up and struck the elevator's panel, calling it down.

On the other side, Scipio had copied and grabbed a porcupine demonbeast. The guard rolled up into a tight ball as the commander let him fly. Hardy screamed as he smashed into the guard, halfway between either side. Both stood up, swaying from dizziness.

"Knock a few punches inta' im'!" Walky shouted, jumping up and down in urgency.

Hardy looked up just as the guard brought his fist back and hit him hard. Hardy gasped out as he was struck over and over again, unable to get away. Then, the guard reached to grab his spear and ran forwards. Hardy sidestepped and lost his balance, landing on top of the guard.

The elevators doors opened and Walky leapt in.

"Send im' back and get on!"

Following the instructions, Hardy lifted the guard high above his head and threw him with all his might. He heard the sounds of clattering as the porcupine crashed into Scipio and the other guards. Hardy was whisked off as Duston grabbed his arm and threw them both into the elevator.

In the elevator, the three heard Scipio momentarily curse and scream out with threats before the noise died down as the elevator rose upwards. Hardy stood up, almost falling back to the carpeted floor. The feeling was indescribable…and he remembered standing on the stairs…wondering what an elevator felt like…

"Woo hoo! We did it!" Walky laughed out with relief. "For a sec there, I thought we were gunna' lose…"

"WHAT DO WHEN STOP?"

"Well, here's what the Boss said to do. He said ta' get up there, see if the prince is there, grab him, and leave. Not too bad I guess…"

"Wait, this is all for the _Prince_?"

"Yep. The Boss said the Prince is crucial to the revolution. Duston, you got the password for the door right?"

Duston opened his mouth and dug through the loose aluminum cans and decaying food product before he pulled out a slab of metal that had numbers scratched into its surface.

The doors opened and the three stepped out into the short hall, looking directly to the single door that stood before them.

Duston came up to the panel and pressed in the password and the doors slid open. Hardy had been in the back and both Duston and Walky stood in the way from him being able to catch his first glimpse of the real life prince. He was more intrigued than ever to see this heir to Lord Nightmare's throne.

But Duston and Walky did not move. They remained standing there at the door frame, staring into the room.

Hardy pushed his way forward and stopped as he felt water drop on his arm. He looked down at the drop of red before slowly, slowly gazing upwards.

The walls bled with a darkening red that streaked across the room from the window to the door, hauntingly smiling at the three. They found the two foremen demonbeasts quite easily…they were all over the room, ripped apart by some terror.

But sitting in the largest pool of blood was young Prince Meta-K02, happily licking his hands after dipping them into the crimson drops. He gave them the brightest smile Hardy ever seen, his gold eyes watching them innocently.

Walky seemed to regain some of his composure because he came forward and said,

"Alright, let's bag this sucker and get outta' here!"

"What?" Hardy asked with a horrified expression. "_Him_?"

Walky turned back to him questionably, although he tapped his foot with worried impatience.

"What else did ya' think the bag was for? That and the muzzle are for the kid."

"But how could we-"

"Trust me. You've eva' seen a blood sucker sittin' all happy in blood and you know it mean no good. The kid's gunna be all cute and cuddly til ya try to take im' outta there."

"DUSTON HEAR GUARD."

The three froze and listened. Outside the room, the sound of the elevator arriving to its stop rang through the deathly silence. Then, the doors opened and Scipio came marching out, blood dripping from his face where the porcupine's pricks at stabbed into.

"Duston! Hold em' offa us!" Walky screamed.

The trashcan demonbeast grabbed the door with both hands and threw all of his weight against it, grunting as the guards outside fought against him. Swords and daggers came poking through the gap, attempting to widen it further.

"Whataya' just standin' there for? Muzzle the kid and throw im' in the bag!"

Hardy snapped back to where he was standing, Walky jumping on him.

"Me? Why don't you do it?"

"I don't got no hands! Ain't that somethin' you can see?"

Hardy held his breath, looking down at the little blue puffball. Put a muzzle on a child? He did not know if he had the heart to do such a thing. But in the urgency of the situation, Duston struggling to keep the guards out and Walky screaming into his head, he did it.

He came from behind Meta-K02 and carefully brought the muzzle around the puffball's mouth, loosely letting it wrap around his head, about to strap it down when the puffball's eyes turned red. He threw Hardy off of him with such a powerful force, shaking the muzzle off of him and letting it drop to the ground. With his wings flared up, Meta-K02 hissed. Hardy looked up and caught a glimpse of small, white canine teeth before it disappeared back into the Prince's mouth.

Suddenly, Walky threw himself upon the puffball, knocking both of them to the floor. He used his head to hit him and keep him pinned to the floor as he called out to Hardy.

"Get im' while I distract im'!"

Hardy got back up and grabbed the muzzle as PrinceMeta-K02 swatted Walky to the side and stood up. With his back turned to him, Hardy leapt forward and tackled him. In seconds, Meta-K02 was clawing at the muzzle, unable to get it off. The puffball plopped down to the floor, eyes turning back to gold as he struggled.

"Good. The blood sucker's been takin' care of. Put im' in the bag; I'm gunna' go help Duston…"

Walky ran over to his friend, helping him take off one of his long guns and wedge it between the door and its frame before they ran back to where Hardy had sadly tied Meta-K02 up into the bag. The black bag looked alive as the puffball squirmed and kicked at it. Duston picked up the bag, opened his mouth, and dropped Prince Meta-K02 in as if he had been a bag of garbage to be disposed. The trashcan demonbeast took the ropes from Hardy and with one sound punch, smashed the wide windows. Glass rained down until all fragments had dropped to the floor, the cold air rushing in.

Duston quickly tied the glowing electron-charged rope around a sturdy beam that had once held the window up and Walky jumped up on to his shoulder. Hardy suddenly realized what was happening.

"We're going to jump out the window…" He said hoarsely.

"YEP."

Duston grabbed him before he could run and tucked him under his arm. He got up on to the window seat and…

Hardy screamed as the trashcan demonbeast jumped, leaping clear out the window and into the open air. They free fell through the air, nothing stopping them as wind rushed past them. Hundreds of feet up from the tallest buildings…

Then, just as the rope pulled taut, Duston kicked his legs out and they swing spiraling around the perimeter of the tower, sailing over the bridges connecting the lower towers to the palace…

The three came directly towards another bridge and Duston's feet landed. They crashed into the walls, two of them whooping and laughing out with exhilaration while the other one curled up into a tight ball and shivered.

"Come get us!" Walky tauntingly shouted up to the Imperial Guards who had broken through the door and were now looking down at them from the tower.

"GO SEE BOSS. HURRY."

"Hmph. I wish we got some video of this…"

Hardy stood up, shaking hard. His eyes opened and he looked at the two, angry but relieved that the worse was over.

"But how are we going to get past the rest of the guards? Surely there are more of them now out in the halls…"

"Yeah, that's why we've got to make it to the Boss's office. It's not the best…but it's going to have to do…come on, afore' some guard sees us."

With that, the three of them ran back into the palace, disappearing from sight.

**X—X—X**

**A/N:** Geez these are long chapters. Too much to include...I ended up cutting part of it up to make into the next chapter. I really see the point of 'smaller' chapters. People are too busy to read long chapters and it hurts the eyes after a while…

Lots of things to leave a note of. But first, let me mock the way I use to write author notes…

_Oh no. Meta Knight was kidnapped. Whatever will he do? Hehe. Customer Service is doing suspicious stuff. _

*stares*

I think I'm going to go throw up…but first, let me explain some of my motives for this chapter and of course, the small profile for our Anti-Loyalists. By the way, there are 6 of them. One still has yet to be introduced into the plot. Since the chapter starts out with Hardy, I'll go and lecture about him.

Hardy: Move out Meta Knight because someone else is going to be taking a step up to the major character platform. Did I ever mention how underappreciated he is? He's a dentist…probably not most people's idea of 'cool', but doesn't that make him the perfect character to build upon? He doesn't strike me as the very daring kind and would rather just blend in with the crowd. (I admit, perhaps one of my biggest reasons is for my own stupid comical reason because he somewhat kind of looks like those denture wind-up things that chatter as they go.)

Walky: Being a walking microphone, the first obvious occupation I could have given the little guy was a pop-singer. But there's more to him than what might be thought of him. His story behind why he shifted his neutrality to being full out at war with Nightmare will be coming up.

Duston: His name is from the Japanese anime. In the dub, his name is Trash Basher from the episode: A _Trashy Tale_ in the dub where Dedede had sent all of the trash to NME so Customer Service in turn, sent it all back with Trash Basher who started spewing the junk everywhere. Being a walking trash can, I imagined his dialogue to be loud and rough, hence is why all of his dialogue is capitalized and rather...*_ahem*_, not conscious about grammar.

Just for the fun of it…

"DUSTON. BIG GUY. NO SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH." ;)

Monsieur Goan: In the story, he's one of Customer Service's closest friends. He's silent because no one has taken the bother to study French, but he's quite observant and listens in closely on to what is being said. When he's not on his cooking show, he's hacking into the NME network to download information the Anti-Loyalists will need. Pretty sweet job, eh?

And finally, about Customer Service…

Although numerous 'sources' claim that Customer Service is completely evil, I disagree. I feel that somehow, he only works for Nightmare just because it's his job and that he loves his job so much that he can't refuse. Everything that I can say about him right now is that Customer Service is **all out bent on successfully pulling off this revolution** and will stop at nothing now that he's seen a small chance in Meta-K02.

This chapter really was an experiment for me with characterization since nearly all of the demonbeasts from the anime had so little show time to truly have much personality. Any thoughts about them? I'd be glad to hear.

The **E**? Gee. I wonder why Cosmicgiraffe took the bother to go bold the letter. _*Rolls eyes*_ Expect more to come with that in the next chapter…

Please review! R&C (Read and critique or criticize) :D


	4. Chapter IV: The Revolutionist

**Author Note: **Huh. I can kind of see why a lot of fan fiction writers are gone after about two years… 6 months preparing this chapter/ hiatus for less than 10 minutes of reading… ouch.

I've had very little incentive to keep posting chapters of this story mostly because I had hoped to improve my writing and English SAT and ACT scores. I'll be going to high school next year and I need to turn my focuses on those big tests. I've been practicing for them, but nevertheless, I'm deeply worried.

However… I still intend to finish this fic unless I were to suddenly collapse dead from a hand cramp or something, and if _did_ get to the point where I couldn't even continue, I'd post an outline of what would have happened. I don't like unfinished work. I'm so grateful for the support I've been getting from my readers. I've really needed it especially in the last year.

I had a few questions that readers asked me about and I have answered them below here for everyone because I want to be through with getting some of the same questions:

1) Yes. Meta Knight will stab Nightmare eventually. Don't think that just because I introduced other demonbeasts that the direction of the story is going completely off. I will explain more about why I introduced people like Hardy into the plot and why Meta Knight hasn't gotten a whole lot of attention as of now in the bottom author note. I _do_ actually have a specific reason for it and this chapter explains this more.

2) Yes. I know 'demon beast' is two words, but I have two reasons why I've written it as one word. First off, I needed to make the title a little shorter and eye pleasing. Secondly, and more importantly, I wanted to portray the race of demonbeasts as just another _race of people_ in the universe, not a group of savages. Somehow (at least how I see it), 'demon beast' seems to label them as monsters, while 'demonbeast' seems to just be some name given to their race. Eh… I'll just leave that for your own opinions.

3) No. I did not make the 'King of Demonbeasts' or 'Princess of Demonbeasts' thing. That was the doing of other people in different fics.

… Everyone's been asking about the 6th Anti-Loyalist. Just because I am so certain that no one could have possibly guessed who it is (and by the way, this demonbeast is not one of the more well known ones), I'm going to go ahead and spill it so it's not a big shocker once he appears.

The 6th Anti-Loyalist is NOT anymore important than the rest of them. He got inconveniently cut out from the last chapter, although I might be editing him in. It is the Delivery Man from that one episode where Dedede wants to ruin Kawasaki's business by having him send the orders to all the wrong people. It's perfectly fine if you don't recall that episode or didn't even watch the one I'm referring to, just know that STEVE is a robotic-like demonbeast and is pretty good at driving.

**Disclaimer: **Cosmicgiraffe does not own any character besides Scipio in this chapter. All other characters, the demonbeasts, and NME belong to Nintendo and HAL. Cosmicgiraffe does not own any third party rights over the Kirby franchise. Story is fan-made by Cosmicgiraffe.

**X—X—X**

**-Chapter IV: The Revolutionist-**

_We're doomed… and this little brat is going to cost our heads…_

Scipio tasted the air with a small flick of his slit tongue. Behind him, the other high commanding officers growled and hissed at one another in their argument, but their voices slowly grew in their individual fears. Their faces were flushed from running to and fro about the palace and battlements and shouting orders to their men. Death awaited them all.

The meeting had been hastily called up and some of the most needed officers had not shown up, much to Scipio's discontent; most of the faces here were not ones he knew. Taking one last glance at the hundreds of guards patrolling the perimeter of the battlements, he turned away from the glass window and allowed his scarred, blind eye to scrutinize the fidgeting lieutenants and corporals seated at the end of their chairs around the conference table. Although its pupil had long been clouded over, it still could faintly detect the shape of their figures.

"Ah, well, why do we all cower in fear az if Lord Nightmare chop offa' our headz?" He asked pleasantly, sending up a red flag for several of the older and more experienced officers. "He will greatly reward uz for capturing ze intruderz and bringing ze Prince safely back."

A pen that had been on the table rolled off and clattered nosily in the deathly silence as it hit the ground, and no one bent to pick it up. Perhaps two fighting bacteria could have been heard in that stillness, because there had been no great capture of the rebels and rescuing of the demonbeast prince—each one of them knew that.

"Huh, look who's talking all high and mighty. Just like your daddy, eh? General Grumman was it?" An eagle demonbeast sneered in his deep voice, quickly regaining some composure. "I heard you stabbed him in the back so you could take his place."

"My father knew I waz going to killz 'im…" Scipio hissed. "And he haz nothing to do with ze situation we haz…"

Inside, his inner turmoil with his long dead father burned. He was in the council of the very same officers the legendary General Grumman had led… but he could not let them waste the precious minutes away while the rebels, who had the Prince, escape. Why were they choosing _now, _of all times, to strike his nerves? But he had to admit: he too was on the edge of snapping.

Many of these men were animal types far more fierce than a lizard. Among the heads of the room, he could see a looming cobra snake-demonbeast, a shark demonbeast, a lion, a bear… the thought of it only seemed to spiral him back to thinking about his father. He could not win their respect, but his father had as well as Lord Nightmare's. It was his father who was renowned for leading the full army into several planet and galaxy raids, but he had not even campaigned in a single battle yet.

_Curse it! If only I had fangs or… or something impressive to display… then these idiots would listen to me… I need to get their attention before… _

Scipio felt his throat constrict. The time was wasting…

He looked up to where a small (smaller than him, he saw with some satisfaction) toad-like demonbeast sat rigidly with upmost attention. All the gleaming medals displayed proudly on his uniform easily labeled him as a newly promoted lieutenant. Maybe if the situation had not been dire, Scipio would have enjoyed it more. All of them… so arrogant and clueless…

He walked forward, passing by each chair and demonbeast until he finally stopped behind the officer's seat, taking a long pause. Then, hissing softly in the lieutenant's ear, he said,

"Would you like to take ze honorz to tell our great lord zat ze Prince WAZ JUST KIDNAPPED?"

The shout pierced their ears… and their sanity to stay and face what Nightmare would surely bring upon them. Several of the officers sitting near got out of their seats, to avoid getting smacked with his tail should he lash out.

And he did.

The now abandoned chairs slammed into the table, moving the entire thing a few good shoves away. Scipio jumped up on to it, consciously exhaling slowly to steady his outburst, although by now, all of the anger that had welled up in him was at the brim.

"Wat were you lazy foolz doing while ze intruderz so eaz-ily came in and kidnapped ze Prince? Opening doorz and greeting zem? Answer me!"

Some of them shook in silent fear, knowing that what they were dreading was inevitable… but why were they afraid? _He_ was the one who was going to have to make the report to Nightmare. No amount of pain he could possibly inflict upon these cowardly idiots could equal to the wrath he would face if the Prince was not returned soon. All the while, hot beads of sweat rolled down his own scaly neck as he gritted his teeth.

"_The little brat's more trouble than he's worth…" _He thought grimly to himself. _"And I'm disgusted I almost dropped to my knees for him when I saw his destructive power. Could this possibly be the downfall of Lord Nightmare's brilliance? Is he… weakening?"_

Had Nightmare not gone into his moody sulk however, the kidnappers would not have made their move. He remembered in the past when the dark emperor's unstable emotions had kept him locked up in his own throne room during the middle of a decisive war that could have won them another galaxy's quadrant a lot easier and sooner. Nightmare was completely blind during his mood swings and his consciousness of what was happening seemed to dull. As far as Scipio knew, Nightmare didn't even know about Prince Meta-K02 being kidnapped!

But that meant he still had time to get the Prince back and act as if nothing particularly unusual had happened and now, the only thing that was stopping him was the lack of control he had over these bumbling fools who had the guts to even consider themselves high-ranking captains.

"But Sir! It was that trashcan devil again! You ever see any demonbeast shoot a single bullet through three guards clad in armor?"

"And the smell that wafts around him! The rot of garbage and whatever the hell he's got in him could choke a whale with the reek. The men under my command were the first there and every one of them either passed out or retreated back!"

"Youz wantz to know wat I saw?" Scipio hissed quietly. "Zhere waz three of zem against sixty-seven guardz. Two of zem had gunz and only one of zem waz doing ze shooteen!"

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was reminded that the time they were wasting would never come back— the rebels were escaping.

"You allz will go pick up your gunz and findz zem! Ze intruderz! You fail again and I skin youz all! I hang your carcassez out ze window to blow in ze wind!"

"But Sir-"

"You zhere! Get ze scientistz in 'ere wth zheir experiment!"

The conference room's doors were immediately opened to the two demonbeast in white lab coats wheeling in a cart with a metal capsule. Any protests were quickly silenced as the officers craned their heads to see this spectacle. Prince Meta-K02's model type had been meant to be the only new demonbeast model manufactured for a good thousand years. The event itself was rare —and for one to be created specifically to handle one individual? This was something they did not want to miss.

One of the scientists nervously came forward, bowing his head a little.

"Commander Scipio, our team finished… your uh… request…after extensive amount of time and patience we put in. We'd like to quietly warn that it's not very… well, attractive… but its abilities will satisfy you sir. We-"

"Just openz it…"

He gave a stiff nod and the two scientists held the locking device on the capsule's sides and with a content click, it opened with along hiss of escaping air. They all leaned forward to see the small figure, not even half the size of the capsule, emerge with a small sneeze. Noseman. That was the experiment's name. The little demonbeast was rather hideous with its huge nose. It's dull eyes only seemed to reflect the lack of thought that was happening within its mind.

A pause. Then, the room erupted into laughter. Scipio, however, was not about to let more valuable time tick away.

"It iz good enough, if zis will be what findz ze gunner fer us!"

"S… Sir? _This_ is what's going to find that devil?"

"Aye. Zat iz wat I juz said, idiot."

"What's it going to do? Sniff them out?"

"Exxxxactly…" He answered, brining their laughter to an abrupt halt.

The little brown demonbeast was now sniffing Scipio's boots. It looked up and with a bold sneeze, it said,

"NOSEMAN."

The lizard picked up the garbage can, another item he had asked the scientists in advance to bring when they came, and dumped its contents on the floor in front of the experiment demonbeast. It took one sniff, and then rejected it with a wheezing cough. Kicking a rusted can closer to it, Scipio stared hard at it. Noseman eyed it, with some consideration, bent down to smell it. It froze, wrinkling its nose as it breathed in the air. Then, it scrambled towards the door to paw at it and Scipio pointed after it.

"Openz ze door and follow it! Ze Nozeman will findz ze trashcan 'un and ze rest of zem! Don't fail me again, or all of us will pay with our headz!"

* * *

The kitchens—not the most brilliant place to run, but Walky seemed sure of it anyways. The little microphone demonbeast had gotten off of Duston's shoulder and ran ahead, although painfully slowing; all three of them were. Hardy could feel his battery power steadily drop… curse it, being mechanical.

Duston held the rear, his empty revolvers in his hands. Of course, he could continue to pretend that they still had the unmatched firepower, but it would not take long for any guard to realize they were out of ammunition.

"Y... you sure you know where you're going?" Hardy choked.

"No, but cryin' in the corner ain't gunna' do nobody any good… and aint' none of us e'er gone through this place before! It's huge!"

"ENTER, EASY. LEAVE, HARD."

"Shut it, big guy. Gunna' git us caught one day with that loud mouth of y-" Walky hissed before he suddenly exclaimed," Hey, we found it!"

The doorway ahead was a constant motion of demonbeasts, mostly mechanical ones like themselves, coming in and out with carts and trays of assorted dishes heaped with food. But somewhere behind them, they could hear the march of soldiers. Anywhere was better than out here in the open hallways.

So in they went, rather awkwardly pushing their way forward into the room filled with steam from the pots and pans scattered across the stovetops. The working demonbeasts looked up, staring at them but still busily working on their tasks. Trying not to look to nervous… or suspicious, Hardy shuffled through the narrow aisles after his co-workers to the back room which Walky shoved open with his tiny body.

Looking up, Hardy saw two figures at the counter; one talking in a low voice while the other quietly listened as his eight arms each did their own separate task at washing the mountains of platters and bowls. Both turned, the one wearing the suit making an explosive outburst as the coffee he was drinking came out in a spray.

"Wha-WHAT? You guys are still here?"

"Hey, Boss. We got forced down 'ere cause them guards blocked every way outta' 'ere!"

"What the hell are you standing there for? The guards are going to be storming in here any minute… I'm not even supposed to _be_ here! They're going to question both Goan and me!

"Hey! We tried but got stuck out there and-"

"Tried? TRIED? Our heads are going to be chopped off if they catch us and you guys _tried_? Run before they get here!"

"There are no places ta' run, ya' hear? You were supposed ta' send us directions outta' here and ya' nevah' did!"

"You think I could have sent any call without getting us listened in on?"

"We were runnin' around, tryin' ta' guess which hall wouldn't have any guards in it or not. And we got no more ammo either! How about next time _you_ go try doin' that!"

Suddenly, the man in the suit stood up, his orange glasses flashing angrily as both shot back one heated remark after the other. The others were left standing their uncomfortably, wondering if they should say something or if doing so would make it worse. While they argued, Hardy felt a sudden thought occur to him.

_Why are all these people actually famous?_

Walky had certainly taken him some time to recognize, not being an avid fan of pop music, but Monsieur Goan's influence was seen in just about every restaurant, being an acclaimed chef and the head of the kitchens at the palace, not to mention the host of his own cooking show. And then there was Customer Service… actually, Hardy didn't even know what exactly the suited figure, who so frequently appeared across the media, did for a living, but it surprised Hardy that this man, who worked in the palace and almost directly under Nightmare, was apparently the leader of this rebel group.

He became aware that Customer Service had turned his attention away from the cursing microphone demonbeast and was looking at him now.

"I take it that you're the new recruit? Hardy, is it? Goan was the one who found your name in the listings, not me," He said, clearly trying to distract himself. "Well, I hope Walky hasn't doomed your first mission and all the rest of us here."

Walky complained about taking the blame for everything when suddenly, the salesman froze as if he was beginning to consider something. Hardy realized the question he was about to ask before he even spoke it.

"Where's the Prince?"

"Hmph, well Dusty went and ate 'im ta' free up his hands."

Silence. Then,

"GET HIM OUT! He's going to suffocate!"

"Going to what?"

"Duston!" Customer Service gasped. "Open your mouth and get the boy out!"

The trashcan demonbeast did so, feeling panicky that he somehow killed the little demonbeast prince. Monsieur Goan cleared the entire countertop with a wide sweep of his arms and Customer Service himself ran up to Duston and dug through the reeking contents. Finally, he pulled the demonbeast prince, who was now unconscious, out and set him on the countertop with worry.

"Goan, get a bucket and fill it with water…"

The chef turned and his eight arms flew off in different directions. One hand opened the door to a supply closet up while another took hold of the bucket and brought it back to him. Two hands turned on the faucet and the bucket was dunked underneath and filled up. He grabbed an extra towel and returned back to the counter.

Customer Service put his head to the demonbeast prince's chest before he stood up, took the bucket, and dumped its contents over Meta-K02. The boy coughed and spluttered, a sign of life, but did not open his eyes. However, it was enough. Customer Service collapsed back into his chair,

"Hardy, you're in charge of the Prince from now on. I hope I can trust you to not kill him somehow. Why do I try and explain suffocation to mechanical demonbeasts? All you guys need are batteries but the rest of us have to _breathe_!"

"Well, Boss. Looks like you're a bad planner, eh?" Walky commented dryly.

"Walky, I don't want to hear you talk. I've had enough of you already…"

Monsieur Goan suddenly sat up straight; his face paling and Customer Service understood its message. Outside, they could hear the cooks shout in surprise as guards entered the kitchens. Hoarsely, he swore.

"We… we have to run… but where? I'm not even supposed to _be_ here! They're going to recognize my suit without even a glance at my face!"

The chef scurried over to a closet where its doors slid apart and tearing through it, he drew out a large tan jacket that he threw to him. It was rather big for him, but Customer Service put it on without a second thought and it hid most of his striped suit from view. Monsieur Goan went over to a locked, metal door and punched in a password in its keypad. Swinging open, cold air blew into the room and they all peeked in. It was a walk-in refrigerator, a large hall to accommodate all the food that had to be stored to feed the entire palace's population. By now, the shouts were coming closer and somewhere, they heard the small sounds of scratching… and sniffing.

Customer Service seemed to piece together something with a small amount of shock.

"They were tracking Duston down… that's how they found us! By his smell! Could that be a new demonbeast model? But in that case… there's no place that we could possibly run that could get us away from whatever it is."

None of them moved. They were looking at the salesman for orders, but he was at a loss for words. Monsieur Goan glanced up at the doors at the end of the hall, which connected to other kitchens, but slowly found himself looking up at the vent that hung over the hall. All the air there would travel throughout the entire palace. If Duston's concentrated smell were equalized throughout, the tracking demonbeast would gradually lose them. He took Customer Service by the shoulder and wordlessly pointed up at his discovery.

"Goan, you're a genius. Come on! We have to hurry!"

He pulled the chef to follow the others in, but Monsieur Goan did not move. The guards were banging on the locked door now and he looked wistfully up. He was staying behind where he was supposed to be working. He gave Customer Service no more chances to linger. He pushed the salesman into the refrigerator halls and locked its door behind them, returning to his workstation just as the guards broke through the door and entered the back kitchen.

"Halt! You there! Which was did the rebels go?"

Inside the refrigerator hall, Customer Service grabbed Hardy's arm, hissing in a quiet voice.

"Get going! You're the one who has drills to open the vent!"

"But they're too delicate! They're for-"

"MOVE IT!"

The drill attached to his back groaned as he jammed it into the screw and began turning it. It made a lot of noise, but the guards outside seemed to have realized they were inside the refrigerator halls already. They hammered against it, shouting threats and curses. Customer Service's breaths came out in a small cloud as he rubbed his arms to keep warm.

"How long does it take to unscrew four little bolts? Hurry up!"

"Almost…" Hardy said, giving a final push to unscrew the last bit out and the entire vent cover came crashing down on them. Customer Service pulled himself free from under the cover and turned to look up at the new opening. Outside, the guards were shouting at Monsieur Goan to type in the password for the hall.

"You get up there and help pull Duston up, he's going to be the hardest to squeeze in. Hardy, you get under him and push him up. Then you get inside. I'll come in after you."

The little microphone demonbeast jumped up on to a stack of crates and clambered into the vent. Hardy was not so sure whether or not he'd actually be able to hold Duston's weight, but he cast his doubts aside and helped the trashcan demonbeast get up on to the first box. Monsieur Goan apparently was pretending to have forgotten the password, because the shouts of the guards were becoming more and more impatient by the second.

Duston suddenly slipped and Hardy's eye bulged a little as all the weight was transferred to the back of his eye, which was attached to nothing else but a thin cord. He strained against the load, pushing as hard as he could. Walky could not really do anything but stand there while Duston struggled to pull himself up into the vent, which was thankfully just large enough to probably squeeze him in.

Then, he was through. Walky cheered and Hardy got in next. Finally, Customer Service leapt up and hid himself from view just as the doors opened. A small, brown creature darted in and stopped at the vent, smelling it intently.

"Up there, men! Get them!"

The rebels pushed forward when they came upon a shaft leading straight down. They looked at each other before one by one, they dropped down the chute.

Monsieur Goan watched the guards storm the refrigerator halls, silently praying his friends got away. While the guards searched the rooms, he carefully pulled his cell phone from the back pocket of his apron and texted a message.

* * *

Hardy might have been the 'new guy', but there was another member of the group that was given the title of 'the other guy'. Steve drummed his fingers against his wheelie bike's handle as they waited in traffic. While being a member of the group, he so far had not done much other than meet with them down at the their bureau on the fifty-fourth street level. They recruited him to watch the streets and more particularly, on the activity of the Imperial Police.

The cars slowly inched forward. He turned around to retie the packages he was delivering.

Something at his side buzzed and he flipped open his cell phone. One message was displayed on its screen:

**Goan 10:45 Today: **_Help. 2._

Steve turned off the device and looked back up at the traffic. It would take another hour before he would reach his first stop. He was on a road facing away from the palace, but if they needed his help…

Under him, his wheelie anxiously fidgeted, wanting nothing more than to drive free. It seemed to anticipate they were turning back and it started up its engines. Steve untied the packages and with a little reluctance, let them fall. Those packages would never get delivered. He was caught in an accident; he decided would be his story, and stepped down on the gas pedal.

The drivers behind them jumped in their seats as he came straight at them, zipping between their cars. His wheelie bike excitedly sped forward, gaining speed as it dove under cars and other motorcycles and looped around trucks. A couple of police cars came after him soon after, their sirens blaring at him as they shouted,

"Hey! Pull over and stop your bike!"

He shrugged, only stepping harder on the gas pedal. Not that he really could have answered them anyways: the owners at the NME Delivery Corp. who made his model type at the hundreds didn't think their specially designed workers needed the ability to speak.

It was not long before the police lost him and he pulled over to the sidewalk, looking around. He was quite certain that the '2' that Monsieur Goan had requested for meant bikes. The group needed bikes. He sensed a big get-away coming up ahead. Steve drove on until he found a bike rack with several wheelie bikes. Tough choosing –all of them were nice bikes. He waited a few more seconds, just in case the owners of the bike happened to come, and in a flash, hacked at the bike chains with a tool he had made himself. The wheelies began to spin in circles with their new found freedom, but he took hold of their reigns and tied them to his own bike. Now for the palace…

He arrived at the gates earlier than he anticipated he would. The traffic lightened as he drawn close and he now waited at the guard post as the sentry there looked through his permits. The guard frowned, finally handing back the paper slip.

"Hmph. Alright. You may pass, but why is it that all the workers from NME Delivery Corp. are sent with permits that expired three years ago? Tell your boss we…"

Steve was already inside the gates before the guard could get any further and he drove away in slight amusement. Perhaps the guard neglected to consider it, but if the palace was under lockdown, he should not have even been able to go through the front gates, which were by far more convenient than trying to venture through the sewers and come up inside of the palace.

But while he drove in, he took note of the security system that opened and closed the gates. He hoped that dumb guard would still be on duty by the time he and the others were coming out.

The gates closed behind him and he entered the main courtyard and quickly took a turn behind a wall, out of the view of the guards on the battlements.

"Steve! Over here!"

He turned, spotting the group on a ledge on the palace's walls. They received him with relief, but with anxiousness to get out and he finally realized why as soon as he saw the wingtip protruding out of the bag that a mechanical demonbeast he didn't recognize, carried. He froze. The entire palace's guard population would be after them…

He untied the other wheelie bikes from his own and they mounted. As Customer Service got on behind him, he quickly introduced the new member to him,

"Steve, that's Hardy back there. He's a new recruit."

Duston got on to his own bike and Hardy and Walky got on another. Hardy fearfully looked off the ledge, gulping.

"Hey, uh, Boss? I don't know how to drive…"

"The bike does most of the work. The streets are organized into magnetic grids and the bike will found a route. Make sure your intentions of which direction you want to go are clear to the bike and you'll be fine."

"But Boss!" Walky exclaimed. "They're gunna' be shootin' at us! We don't have any ammo!"

"Trust me, they will not shoot until they know which one of us have the Prince. Once they do, that's when there will be gunfire. Now move out! Stay close together until we make it out of the palace's grounds!"

"Looks like there's no more time ta' wait! Here they come!"

Suddenly, the sky filled with the sounds of engines. They looked up to see a mass of guards, all on rex wheelie bikes. They scattered, just as the guards were upon them. Steve was about to drive ahead when Customer Service hissed in a low voice,

"We'll carry the rear. Make sure Hardy and Walky get out of here safely. They have the Prince."

Above them, Scipio clutched the handle of his bike tightly. He had never driven before and his fear was beginning to show. He pulled his helmet down further around his eyes and pressed his body against the bike. But at his side, one guard raised his gun and was about to fire when Scipio shouted,

"You idiot! Don't shoot until you findz ze one with ze Prince! You'll kill 'im!"

The rebels would attempt to escape out the front gates. Hah! Foolish idiots! The gates would be secured shut! No one was allowed into the palace or out under lockdown! But that was where Scipio was wrong. He looked up, staring at the open gates in shock. The same guard who had let Steve in was allowing another in, probably a service worker who got locked out of the palace.

"IDIOTZ!" Scipio screamed. "CLOZE ZE GATEZ!"

Fortune was ill for them. With the rebels ahead of them by a few meters, they could not block them off. They broke out of the palace's hold, and drove out into rush-hour traffic.

* * *

Monsieur Goan swallowed as the three guards pressed in on him. Talking in pure French seemed to halt their close questioning and even convince them enough that it was not worth the bother, but all he was doing now was babbling any word or phrase that came to mind while his eight hands danced around as he pointed this way and that. He even started reciting a French poem he once read somewhere, doing whatever he needed to keep them off of him and to keep himself from breaking down.

The small party that had tried to follow the rebels up the vent had long given up and instead set off to search the palace. It was just him and these guards… if only he could get rid of them.

He felt a tinge of confidence. They were getting bored with him. Maybe that meant they would report him to their captains as an innocent bystander when Customer Service and the others came through. However, one of them came up behind him and pressed the gun barrel to his head.

"Alright now, let me ask you this nice and slow, and you answer us in _English_: Where were the rebels heading?"

Monsieur Goan laughed, trying to indicate that perhaps that was an absurd question to ask someone who probably would not know the answer, but his voice cracked. They had been questioning him for a long while now and behind him, the contents in the skillet cooking on the stove were beginning to burn. He could almost imagine the bullet pointed at his skull. He prayed they would relent a little and allow him to put out the fire— but more importantly, allow him to get into an arm's reach away from his kitchen knife drawer.

He pointed at the cloud of smoke, coughing; but they kept him there. The same guard snarled again.

"Let's hear some English, cooky!"

"No, forget it. This is something for our squadron captain to deal with."

"Huh, then what are we supposed to do?" The last guard asked as he dipped a filthy finger into a bowl of custard and licked the sweet pudding off.

"Well, I hear you're an acclaimed chef and I haven't had a thing to eat all day. Hey, make us something, will ya'? Otherwise we'll shoot you dead."

They sniggered, drawing their guns out. As he backed away into the counter, one of them jabbed him in the back with a fork.

"Yeah. How about a nice pot roast soaking in its juices?"

"No, better. Steak. A good, bloody slab of steak. That's what I want…"

Monsieur Goan consciously felt for the knife drawer. He wondered how fast he needed to be to beat them grabbing their weapons when they already had their guns out. Or maybe he would slip the knives under his apron until he got the opportunity and take their guns and run for it. He brushed his hand against the handle of the drawer. So close…

The door slammed open, making them all jump, as a helmeted officer walked in. The three guards gave a stiff salute, but their captain was facing Monsieur Goan. He drew his pistol and pointed it at the chef.

"Arrest him. He's been working alongside the rebels and helped them escape. Lock him up at the **E** and we'll take care of the rest of them…"

* * *

Duston had pried loose a large, metal pole and was now whacking aside Imperial Guards as if playing a game of golf. He cracked the skull of one and splintered the spine of another quite merrily. Customer Service and Steve on their bike sped ahead as two guards managed to get past the raging trashcan demonbeast and chase after them. Customer Service kept looking behind them, biting his lip as he saw Scipio's scarred face.

They ducked under a stoplight and joined the traffic on the level above, barely cutting through two, close-driving trucks and over their top. Their pursuers were forced to drive around, which gained them an extra few meters. Duston suddenly appeared at their side, swirling back to take a swing at one of the guards. Customer Service turned back to Steve and said,

"Try to find where Walky and Hardy went."

The wheelie nearly hopped up on to a limousine and drove across its roof. The driver punched the car's horn. Eyes flew toward them and the cars that were moving crashed into each other to avoid them. One hit a traffic light and it came down. Steve curled the handle forward and the wheelie bike launched itself into the air. Behind them, they heard the big CLANG as a few of their pursuers struck the object, unable to stop their bikes.

But for the five other guards, their communicators suddenly buzzed and they could hear a gruff voice bark out,

"These other two have the Prince! Shoot the others!"

Hardy and Walky were having more difficulties than the other rebels and they shot past a corner shop, eight more bikes following in close pursuit. No matter where they turned, they could not shake the guards off them. And their pursuers realized it was them who had the Prince.

"Hey, Hardy, you betta' listen up. I'm gunna' drive up the parking lot stairwell. You're gunna' need ta' duck real fast, and then I'm gunna' drive us through that shoppin' mall. Might be the only way ta' get these creeps offa' us."

Not like he could have disagreed –Walky already was driving towards the parking lot. He gulped, then clutched the bike more tightly. Had Walky not warned him to duck, Hardy might not have seen the large sign before it hit him. His eye barely missed getting whacked by it, but the guards behind him got it full in the face. Walky leapt down on the other side of the handlebar and the bike slammed the department store doors open. Shoppers screamed as they drove through racks of clothing and sent shelves of shoes toppling down.

Then, the guards entered and collided into one another, blinded by the flying clothes. They wiped out, skidding across the ground and were lost among a mass of confusion. Hardy and Walky grinned, looking at each other. But they were not left completely unscathed: just as they took another turn, they ran into a perfume stand with both sprays and powder, which engulfed them in a mixture of multi-color dust.

A bullet had struck Steve on the arm and Customer Service was keeping his head low, gritting his teeth as another missile sailed above them. They had nothing to fight back with, it was run or get shot. He looked up ahead of them. The drivers in their cars were panicked, some causing road blocks as they tried to drive away. Scipio was not very far away now. Maybe if his bike had a seat slightly taller, he would have been able to touch their bike with a small stretch of the arm.

Steve suddenly slammed against the breaks and Customer Service was thrown against him. He gasped, glancing up to see a large oil truck that had been hit and had a broken light post collapsed over it. The post's wires were exposed, obviously frayed and already sending off sparks. Only one bullet was needed to strike it… and cause an explosion.

And that bullet came.

Scipio had fired the shot, missing Customer Service's head by an inch and it came over them, rotating as it went before it hit the control box. Flames erupted and Customer Service's head was thrown back.

Scipio looked up just as the man in the coat turned around and for a second, their gazes met. The lizard saw the glimpse of bright orange glasses before the explosion snatched up his wheelie and threw him off. Seconds after, both Customer Service and Steve were engulfed in the fiery clouds and they fell, left with scorch marks searing across their faces and bodies. Duston's bike turned at the last moment and the trashcan demonbeast was lost among the black smoke.

* * *

The medics that were attending the lizard general, some time later after they spotted him lying unconscious in a grocery store he had smashed through, were thrown violently off of him as he painfully sat up, giving a low hiss.

"Wat in ze name of ze emperor happened?" He gasped out dizzily before letting loose of volley of curses. "Ze stupid bike must haz threw me off."

He tore at the bandages when the doctors wrestled his arms down. A few of the shoppers watched as he hissed and growled, knocking over a shelf full of canned products in the process.

"Sir! You need immediate care!"

"Don't touch me…" He ordered. "Where are ze rebelz?"

"The rest of your squad went after them. Hold still."

Scipio growled as they tightened the bandages around his burned arms. Driving a motorbike had been more than traumatic; it was his first time, after all. He felt lightheaded, and not to mention, in deep pain; but it was all forgotten. He had been lying on his back… he could never do so because his tail was always in the way… but that meant…

"MY TAIL! WAT HAZ HAPPENZ TO IT?" He screamed, shaking his tail that now uselessly shook unattached to anything.

The medics watched him uncomfortably as he shouted loud enough for the entire store to hear in his panic. He tried standing up, but his entire sense of balance had been destroyed with the loss of his tail. No longer was there the extra weight that kept him upright and he toppled over.

"The amount of stress your body went through when you were caught in the explosion must have caused your tail to… erm… well, pop off…"

"POP OFF? MY TAIL!" He shrieked huskily.

"Sir! Please calm down! We think lizards can re-grow lost tails and it will come back eventually…"

Scipio gawked at the small stub under his armor— all that was left of his tail, which he took so much pride in to strengthen. He almost wanted to cry on the spot, but something restrained his emotions… because in his mind, he saw the flash of orange again. Those had been orange glasses…and there was only one person he knew that would wear that ridiculous color of glasses.

_That salesman… that son of b****… you'll pay with all the blood I can strangle out of you… _He thought to himself as he took out his phone and dialed.

* * *

There were no words to describe how awkward it was for two mechanical demonbeasts, blackened by soot and with exasperated looks on their faces to enter an exceedingly high-end apartment complex and walk through a crowded lobby with a suspicious black bag at their side; but no one stopped to question them, so Hardy and Walky disappeared as the elevator doors closed and rose up. The elevator music filled the silence —neither had the energy to talk— until with a small ring of a bell, the doors opened to their needed floor. They collapsed into Customer Service's apartment as soon as the salesman opened it for them

Hardy jadedly opened his eye and looked around the apartment in total awe, feeling a small tinge of embarrassment for how unkempt his own apartment was. Customer Service lived in a suite high above the top most street level and the apartment itself was large with a fantastic view of the city and the palace in the distance. They had entered the living room that had a high definition TV covering half of its wall and just about every other newer electronic to date. Customer Service and Steve were the only ones present and Hardy saw how badly the biker demonbeast had been hurt. He had a toolbox out on the coffee table in front of him and was screwing back his arm that hung loosely on frayed wires and was oiling his joints.

Customer Service returned to pressing an ice pack to the burns on his face and neck, but the light shifted on his glasses in a troubled manner. He shook his head solemnly.

"What a disaster… we almost couldn't get out of the palace back there and the streets are a complete wreck… Goan's probably under heavy questioning and Duston got separated from Steve and I. I'm just relieved that the rest of us are seemingly okay." He murmured before taking a glance at the black bag that was now squirming around on the floor. "…but it wasn't a complete failure either. We have the Prince."

Walky 's mouth dropped slightly as he looked for his friend before he sank against the wall, forgotten for the time being. The rest, however, were more keen on the bag that Hardy was busy untying. He pulled the sack off the half-dazed demonbeast prince; he had to hold his breath as he watched the child's canine-like teeth recede back into his mouth.

"Is… is that even normal? I mean, I've never seen teeth like that before and I've worked on teeth all my life!"

He suddenly could not help himself —he pried Meta-K02's mouth opened and rather anxiously examined the fangs more closely.

"This is amazing! Such developed teeth for a kid not even a month old! I wish I had my tools with me to get a better look at this…"

"He's a First Generation: all of them have fangs. That's how they were designed."

"But what for?"

"Answer the question yourself; what does the boy drink?"

Hardy fell silent as the images of the pools of blood that stained the tower room's floors. Quietly to himself, he thanked the heavens that he had never seen such a horror during his time studying dentistry. He was not sure whether or not he would have stayed in school after seeing what he did in that room.

Customer Service slowly lowered his arm and put the ice pack down, gazing towards the struggling Meta-K02 who looked back up at him with his shining, innocent eyes.

"What makes me wonder, though, is why the boy was locked up there in that room for so long without a word of where he was. The testing day went rather badly, but… do you suppose Lord Nightmare actually... forgot him there? Both of them disappeared shortly after and I suppose His Highness was being moody again… I can't believe it. The boy looks half-starved to death."

"Hmm, well, you could open up a vein for him to drink from," Hardy jokingly suggested, but was dismayed to find his remark deadened by the serious expression on the salesman's face.

"All of them are supposed to be fed right after they take their first step out of their birth cylinders… Nightmare must have been too anxious to get him to fight," He mused grimly, before looking at Hardy's horrified expression. "What's wrong?"

"D… did you just His Highness' name without his title?"

There was a long pause and Customer Service's face was unreadable. Firmly, he adjusted his glasses as he turned his attention back to him.

"Yes. From this day forth, now that I see my plans for the future beginning to work, I refuse to call Nightmare by the title he forces us all to call him. There will be no more monarchy… not with him as emperor, I mean. If only Goan was here, he could have gotten started rewriting the Prince's hard drive."

"W… what? R… rewrite it?" Hardy gasped, suddenly clutching Meta-K02. "He's only a poor boy!"

"To free our people, Hardy. Now give him to me."

Hardy stood up, holding the confused demonbeast prince tightly. Especially to a mechanical demonbeast, the statement was profoundly serious. Rewriting a hard drive meant that the demonbeast was malfunctioning, but often times enough, rewriting meant ending up in the trash heap. He felt his morals scream at him to disobey his new boss.

"No… I won't let you touch him until you tell me why you're rewriting his hard drive… I want to know everything!"

Surprisingly, Customer Service did not move to snatch the prince back or even to argue. He softened his voice, but something in his expression was the face of tiredness that Hardy could not comprehend. He exhaled with small sigh.

"Perhaps, Hardy, there is something you should… all of you, should know about me. Maybe I've kept my intentions a secret for too long. Maybe I should have told you all my visions for the future… I don't hate the kid, don't take me wrong about that. I felt it was wrong to do something such as rewriting an entire hard drive to a child. He is not my enemy. He is no one's enemy— it is Nightmare, that I have waged war upon. The Star Warriors may campaign their foolish little war against him, but they will never get anywhere. I have my own battles to fight. I don't think you understand just how enslaved our people are. I don't think you understand the reason why we fight. Hardy, do you know what would have happened to you had we not warned you to get our of your office yesterday?"

Hardy's ferocity fell with the final few words and he lingered on it, paralyzed by the question. He could feel it— the man that sat before him knew why he had been fired.

"Ah, I see you've made a connection. You were fired, not because you weren't good enough for your job. None of the people that the Imperial Police come for are fired because of that. It is for them to physically see you and examine your size and weight."

Hardy blinked.

"Wait… what?"

Customer Service turned to the corner where Walky quietly cried and cursed.

"Walky, tell Hardy about that day, will you? I think Hardy will understand better from someone who's had a similar story."

Hardy looked at Walky in surprise. The ex-pop star singer twitched a little. There was an outlet in the wall near him that he badly needed to recharge at, yet he had not moved to do so.

"Duston is fine. You know he is," Customer Service said, although with not much of a reassuring tone. "He probably didn't even get a dent after he was thrown off his bike."

They heard Walky sniff.

"T… they must h…'ve got 'im and… and took 'im… and…" The microphone demonbeast murmured through quiet sobs.

"He will rejoin us later as soon as he can. Next time we meet back at the bureau, we'll see him there. Meeting at my own apartment was not my idea, but it will have to do for now. Walky, please tell Hardy."

"I don't e'er wanna' think nothin' 'bout that day again…" Walky shivered. "You can't make me talk 'bout that day."

But after a minute of silence, he finally began talking, on his own.

"W… well… it wasn't that long ago and I… was makin' my next album, nothin' different… the recordin' director said he don't want me there no more and I asked him why the hell. He tol' me people don't wanna listen ta' my CDs no more and tol' me ta' leave the studio. I went outside and second later, them coppers surrounded me and said I was undah' arrest for a long list o' stuff. I couldn't even understand the charges and they took me to the **E** to this… this white room where all these people in white lab coats were lookin' over my body and askin' all these weird questions…"

Walky's story broke as he gave a shudder, letting loose another sob.

"And then they took me to the next room… this dark hall. Couldn't see nothin'; the only d*** thing I could hear was all the tortured screamin' from behind the black doors. They locked me inta' a cell for days and after I could start seein' a little better, I saw all the blood that seeped out from undah' the doors were the screamin' was comin' from and where it pooled around the drains. And I saw the mechanical demonbeasts that lay dead there too. One of them was in the cell I was locked in and all the wirin' had been torn outta' 'im. Scared the s*** outta' me. Finally, the let me out of the cell and they took me inta' another white room where they tried to disconnect my wirin' and stuff me inta' a cylinder-like thing. I broke out of their hands and I ran for it, man. Couldn't have run fastah than on that day. I hid inside of a little vent I found behind a canister until Boss found me and said I could help 'im stop others from going to that hell… probably would have agreed to have gone to an insanity asylum too if he had asked…"

He fell silent, trembling hard; but just as Customer Service was about to speak, the little microphone demonbeast seemed to consider something, then returned back to his life story

"A… and I came back t… to the studio later and… and… they replaced me with some new guy called Macho San… THEY REPLACED ME! The only song he ever even published was that 'Go Go Heaven Heaven' crap and every single person out there actually likes it! Why?"

His voice cracked and he collapsed to the floor in anguish.

"They've got ole' Dusty there and they're doing' the stuff they were doin' to the others!"

No one could do much as the ex-pop star singer curled up into a little ball and cried for all he was worth for his friend. Hardy looked up at Steve and saw he wasn't the only one badly shaken. Behind him, Customer Service had gently placed a hand on his arm.

"There used to be no E. The building where they carry out their operations used to belong to a mining corporation. Everything Walky spoke of it true enough. I have been there enough to confirm that because my job brings me there occasionally. I see that you're speechless. Do you not believe it, that what he was your own sealed fate had Goan not hacked into the system and found your file next on the list? Then let me ask you this—do you know what it is that I do for a job?

Meta-K02 greatly wanted to be put down on the floor and explore a bit on his own, but Hardy could not move his arms. The salesman's gaze held him where he stood. Something big was about to hit him.

"You… sell things. And you deal with customers?"

"Ah, yes, but what is it that I sell?"

Not a sound was to be heard. Even the little prince had stopped his struggling. Hardy stared ahead, his mechanical heart thumping loudly against his chest. Seeing that he had no answer, Customer Service answered it for him.

"Demonbeasts, Hardy, our own people plucked right off the streets to either be put into the army or to be sold to buyers thousands of light-years away. You are not free; you are an item in a catalog for anyone rich enough to buy and have you amuse him or her for a while. I too had lived perfectly content. I didn't know, Hardy. I didn't know. It was not until I left selling used cars and got the job that I have now that my eyes saw the monarchy for what it truly was and how everything is handled at the **E**. I was horrified, but I could say nothing or do nothing." He said, almost looking off into the distance. "There is a record for every demonbeast alive within the Enterprises. When they build the army, they run a systems check for any demonbeast that meets a certain weight and size standard, regardless of if they would even a be a good fighter or not. Everything is run by computers with an intellectual ability by far inferior to the average mechanical demonbeast, not actual workers; and so evidently, they ran a check and found your file and picked you out of the thousands of others in the heavy weight class."

"But… I can't be a soldier… I…"

"Exactly, most of the demonbeasts they pick end up being ill-suited for it, but they cannot know that until they physically see you. That is why they first have the employers fire him or her and then bring them to the E to examine them. Had they seen you, they would have realized that it was yet another mistake. But, they cannot take you back; otherwise you'd surely expose everything to the media. Their only other option is to sell you or recycle you. It's the policy at the **E**. No demonbeast is wasted. I-"

"Recycle me? What is that supposed to mean? Are they going to toss me into some melting pot to turn me into a can of pop?"

"For mechanical demonbeasts like yourself, yes. But for non-mechanical, they do differently. Do you recall that poor wolf-mother that Prince Meta-K02 pulled out from that shadowy mass? You witnessed the fate of those they cannot sell. Gruesome indeed, that was what was happening behind the doors Walky described. Recycling them… our race continues to serve Nightmare until the day we crumble to dust."

Hardy could not feel his mechanical heart beat, almost as if it had died in his chest. He slowly sank to the floor, all of his beliefs shattered. But from their ashes, a new question was raised and Hardy realized it was probably the last thing Customer Service had not explained yet.

"How does the boy come into this? Do you plan to ransom him?"

"Ransom? Hah, ransom. There is no sum of money in this universe that can match the price of the future I intend to make. Ransom… is that what you all think?"

No one moved to raise their hand or anything, but evidently enough from the silence, it was true and Hardy realized he was not the only one who had been left in the dark. Customer Service breathed out, accepting the truth with some reluctance.

"Perhaps I should have told you all earlier, maybe that would have made you realize how serious I was to get the Prince out from under Nightmare's watch. See him now, the boy is innocent and harmless, but Nightmare will surely corrupt him to become another warlord. That is the last thing our people need. However, if we could bring him on the people's side, he could free us and become our liberator. He will be the one to fight Nightmare. He will lead our people to freedom. Can't any of you see that? When I heard that he, Prince Meta-K02 was in his final stages of development, I almost cried, because I saw the future. I saw the day when Star Warriors and demonbeasts might walk alongside, hand in hand. I saw an end to the war. Under no account, Hardy, will I let go of that vision. It will happen!"

"So that was your solution, to rewrite his hard drive. But what if it kills him? You'll lose everything."

"I might lose everything either way. It is the only way, if it works, to ensure our future. Now, I've told you everything. Give me the boy."

"But he's innocent! He wasn't the one who made the E! You treat him like some kind of a tool! A puppet!"

"I would suggest, Hardy, that you do not allow your emotions to blind you. The boy's blood is in the direct line of Nightmare's. Right now, his soul might be innocent, but it won't take long for Nightmare to teach him to be merciless and evil. Perhaps Prince Meta-K02 would become even worse than the emperor himself."

"But what makes you think he's going to rescue everyone? How is he, this… this kid, going to overthrow Lord Nightmare?"

"I don't expect for him to stand against our lord as a young child… but maybe one day when he becomes a man."

"But rewriting his hard drive is not the solution! How many of you guys even agreed to this?"

"Before you joined our group, Hardy, we discussed this. I told that much about my plans. And we voted. The only one who stood against it was Goan, but the rest of us agreed to it."

Hardy stared at Steve and Walky, almost begging for them to tell him it was not true. Steve only shook his head and Walky stood up, shivering.

"Never again… there's no way I'm gunna' e'er go back there…"

Customer Service adjusted his glasses once more and he looked at Hardy, understand, but unmoved by his protests. Hardy had lost, he knew it; but he was ready to defy them.

"No… NO! It's wrong! All of you! All of you don't have any hearts!"

Hardy ran, taking Meta-K02 with him as he left the living room. He ran through Customer Service's bedroom and locked them both in the small bathroom. How unfair of them, to decide a little boy's fate without his own consent. Could he understand them? Did he know what they were planning to do to him? He put Meta-K02 down on the counter and watched the little prince look at his own reflection in the mirror, seeming to forget the tense conversation back in the living room. He pawed at the mirror, perplexed by his reflection and Hardy was left wordless. He admired children. There was no hate in their eyes, no prejudice, no anger.

He sighed, sitting down on the floor and holding his eye with his hands. He did not hear the others coming, maybe they decided he would eventually come out on his own and submit to them.

Just then, there was a loud clatter and Hardy gasped as he watched all of the little bottles roll out of the medicine cabinet that Meta-K02 had knocked into. He scooped the little prince up, about to say something when he caught a glimpse of something flat hidden in the back of the cabinet. He looked back at the door. He didn't want to be a snoop, but…

It was a stack of photos, he realized as he pulled them out, the more high-tech kind. Held flat, the images appeared in a holographic display and moved about. The first thing he saw was the image of Customer Service, not very different looking than how he appeared now, but definitely younger. Beside him was a dark haired woman holding his hands.

"_Is he married?"_ Hardy wondered. "_I don't recall ever seeing any woman with him though…"_

The entire stack was of the two… or just the woman. She was not strikingly gorgeous, but her face and eyes were pretty in their own simple way. Hardy even saw Monsieur Goan in the back of some of the photos. It appeared that he and Customer Service had been friends for a long, long time…

But after paging through a few, there was no need to look at anymore. Hardy felt a knot form in his throat. Maybe he should not have viewed Customer Service as harshly as he did. For all he knew, the woman could have been his wife, possibly divorced or deceased.

Then, Hardy heard shouts, a crash. He almost ducked as guns shots sounded. He heard the sounds of a fight break out.

The police… how could they have found them?

Hardy opened the bathroom's window and gazed down at the dizzying drop. There was not a chance he could have possibly survived falling. The street level was too far down… and there were no fire escapes he could have walked on to. Trapped… the police had won in the end.

_No… I'm just being a scaredy-cat… there's a ledge I could climb on to and possibly escape…_

He looked over to the small ledge that lined the building… but it was only an inch wide… and he was by far too big for it.

"Halt! You're under arrest!" He heard the officers shout from the other room.

He did not have the time to wait. He had to face it: he did not have the guts. Even with his fate sealed between dropping to his death or being locked up at the **E**, he still did not have the guts to try and change it. He moved away from the window, but as he did so, Meta-K02 came up to its sill, gazing out to see what he had been looking at. When the door to the bathroom began shaking as the police hammered against it, Hardy backed up… straight into Meta-K02. He turned around, but it was too late, he had knocked the demonbeast prince out the window!

He stood there, horrified with what he had just done; but it was then that the door broke off its hinges and he heard several guns click.

"Put your hands up and follow us out."

Hardy closed his eye. Defeated… his arms moved up on their own and slowly, he followed the officers back into the main room.

They took him by his arms into the living room where all the rest of the rebels had been handcuffed and pushed to the wall. There, he too was fitted with a pair. Walky was too busy screaming and fighting with his captors to have done so, but Steve was casting a side-glance directly at him.

_Where is the Prince?_

The dentist demonbeast was lost in his own fears. He had just knocked the boy off to his death! But… the boy had wings… could he possibly have flown away to save himself?

Customer Service was knocked out cold and he hung limply from the officer's grasp, a small line of blood flowing from the side of his head and suddenly, all of Hardy's reassurances that they were unbeatable was gone. He felt his heart sink. He wondered how they would all be executed…

One officer, a mechanical demonbeast, entered the room from the bedroom, its body hovering in a rather quizzical manner.

"Sir. The boy cannot be found." It said in a static-like, computerized voice. "Shall I proceed to initiate another scan?"

"W…what? The boy isn't there? No… search again! He MUST be there!"

The robot obliged and left to do so, but in the meantime, the chief officer came over to Customer Service, shaking him hard.

"Where is the boy? Speak!"

There was no response and the officer fell into complete hysteria.

"What are you all standing around for?" He screamed at the other officers. "Search the apartment!"

They jumped upright and hurried to follow his order. But none of their findings were fruitful –they never would find the boy there. They tore through all the cabinets and closets and scattered all of Customer Service's belongings across the floor. The robot came back, announcing its news.

"The boy cannot be found. Shall I proceed to initiate another scan?"

The officer's face was white as a ghost's. His Adam's apple slowly climbed his throat.

"What are we going to report to the corporal? Hell, what is the _corporal_ going to report to the general and what will Scipio report to Lord Nightmare? ALL of us are doomed."

"We'll blame the other squadron and say our only order was to capture the rebels, and we've done that much. Let's get out of here. There's no point in wasting any more time here."

"Men, move out. Light a fire and burn everything; we'll take our prize and leave. Scipio will definitely be eager to see that we captured their leader…"

* * *

The **E**'s reception room was a peculiar white, empty room with absolutely nothing in it other than the desk that a mechanical demonbeast sat at, typing away with a bored expression. Its monotonous eyes looked up and then returned to its work. Each one of them were filed then shuffled into the next room where they were met by dozens of workers in white lab coats, all equipped with clipboards. They surrounded them as they were divided and examined in separate rooms. The scientists seemed keener on him than anyone else being the largest. They asked him if he had ever held a weapon before and whether he knew how to use one. They asked for his IQ level and if he had ever been under military training. He almost wondered if there was an end to all the questioning when the guards finally came for him and dragged him away. But, he quickly realized he would have taken the questioning any day, because as they neared the far door, Hardy began to hear the screams.

And it was not just screaming –the screams were ghastly and blood curling, tortured, like how Walky had described— and it was enough to alarm him. They opened the large, metal gate and Hardy looked straight into the dark abyss. And as quickly as it opened, it swallowed him up.

A faint red glow served as the only light and Hardy felt as if he perhaps was experiencing what 'suffocation' was. Under the sounds the screaming, he heard the gurgle of blood pooling around the drains.

Up ahead, he watched the others get thrown into a cell and he too was pushed in, the heavy metal door locking behind him.

Monsieur Goan was there, handcuffed, and holding his head tightly with his hands to block out the screaming. He had been there for a long time before any of them had. He sat forward, shaking Customer Service. He took his apron and wiped the blood off of the salesman's head

He shrunk! They watched in astonishment as his extra four arms disappeared out of sight and his entire body shortened. The empty handcuffs dropped to the floor before he resumed his usual form, stretching out his freed arms.

Monsieur Goan shook Customer Service harder, finally receiving a response. The salesman dizzily sat up, holding his head. He had not even opened his mouth to ask where they were when he became aware of the darkness and the screaming. He knew… they had lost.

Walky pressed himself into the corner, each second was reliving a traumatic nightmare. But he still found enough voice to speak.

"Hey, Boss…" He asked in a choking voice. "What's the big escape plan?"

Customer Service looked at him, unable to look away. But slowly, he closed his half-open mouth and shook his head. As he turned to bury himself against the corner of the cell, the rest stood dumbly. There was no more hope. They had nothing now.

Just then, the door opened and guards entered the cell, taking Customer Service and dragging him out. The cell was locked again, but almost a minute later, the same guards came back in to escort them all out. They brought them to the far end of the hall where they entered a large boiler room where the screams were somewhat drowned out by the sounds of engines.

Scipio was waiting for them there and he marched directly towards Customer Service, forcing the salesman's head back with his knife's blade pressed against his throat.

"Well, well, well… one of Lord Nightmare'z own employeez…" He hissed. "You surprize me… our lord trustz you so highly… guardz. Chain him betweenz zhose postz…"

Scipio sat down at the strangely located table and drank his coffee while he watched Customer Service wrestle the two guards at his own leisure. The salesman was no fighter —he was quickly defeated as the locks clicked. Scipio allowed a few moments more to finish his drink before he put the mug down and stood up. As he did so, however, his taped-on tail fell off and he stared at it for a long moment, quickly adjusting it back under his armor. Then, remembering more important things, he looked around, expecting one of his guards to be holding the young demonbeast prince but was dumbfounded that the little puffball was no where to be seen.

"Ze… ze Prince... where iz he?"

"Sir, we didn't find him in the apartment. We searched every room but we didn't see him."

"Impozzible. He MUST be zhere!"

"But Sir…"

Scipio turned towards Customer Service, growling.

"Where iz he? I will wringz your puny neck if you do not tellz me!"

Customer Service spat, smiling weakly.

"I will say nothing."

Scipio struck him across the face, anger burning in his eyes. Customer Service raised his head back up, still meeting his gaze through his now broken glasses.

"Oh? You thinkz I haz nothing that makez prisonerz talk?" Scipio asked challengingly. "You dare make fun of ze emperor?"

"I do."

"Tell me, what was it that made you so rebellious, hmm?"

"They took my fiancée… I went to go see and her and her entire apartment was ransacked and she was gone… she was taken to the E to be sold… her memory had been wiped clean and when they didn't get any buyer, they put her into storage with all the rest and I never found her… I searched for years, hoping to find her after selling one demonbeast after another… but each one I sold was replaced by another… I-"

He was cut off when Walky suddenly started to scream and shout at Scipio, kicking the guards feet and legs.

"What'd you guys do to Dusty?"

"Hah. Ze trashcan 'un? We took no chancez. We erazed all of hiz memoriez and put in our own specially designed chip. Guardz, bring in ze trashcan devil. I want zem to see…

A side door was opened and a large cart carrying Duston was wheeled in, but almost like a stone statue, he was not moving and his eyes were closed.

"Your friend don't know youz anymorez… he iz a servant now."

Walky pushed as hard as his small body could against the guards and he broke loose, running straight up to the silent Duston who stood motionlessly with his eyes closed. The microphone demonbeast looked up at the body of his old friend, afraid for the worse.

"D… Dusty?"

Scipio gave a small nod, issuing an order.

"Rize, servant."

Duston's eyes came open and the entire group took a step back, horrified as they saw his eyes were now blood red. Walky swallowed, daring to open his mouth.

"Dusty! Say something!"

"Your friend cannot talk; we took no chances with him… we erased _everything _that he knew. Go, show ze little 'un your power!"

Duston began walking, like an iron golem bidding its master's command. He wrenched free a pipe the size of a large tree and kept moving forwards, straight towards Walky.

"No… no… Dusty, ole' pal… it's… me…"

Duston swung the hammer and Walky was thrown aside like an old can. He cried out as he slammed against a wall with a powerful force, hard enough to . The microphone demonbeast looked down at the few screws that had been knocked out of him. The Imperial Police had gotten Duston and killed him, creating a monster from his empty body.

"He will sell very highz… zhere will be buyerz."

"Sir, what do you plan to do with the rest of them?"

"Eh… take ze mechanical onez. I don't see much point keeping zem around."

Then, a black shadow fell across them and Hardy, Walky, and Steve looked up at the looming magnet. The guards abandoned them, just as the magnetic force was turned on. The floor under them disappeared and they slammed into its underside, unable to move. The magnetic disk began to head for a large vat ringed with fire –a melting pot and all of them stared with horror.

Below the vat was a long conveyor belt holding molds to assorted machine parts, some the molds for a blender and others the molds for a car. A chute hung over the vat where metal trash fished out from the garbage was being disposed into, their metal filling the molds before the new parts were carried away.

"Boss…" Walky sobbed. "Heeeelllp meeee…"

"Why do youz scream and shout? Aren't you proud zat youz will be ze next generation'z dishwasherz and clothezwashing machinez?"

Hardy could feel the heat starting to melt him although they were still hanging above the flames. Recycled… he never imagined himself leaving the world is such a way.

The magnet was beginning to lower and Walky screamed harder. But then, Customer Service shouted,

"Stop! You'd be better off selling them than recycling them! All of them are highly skilled in their own occupations! They'll make Lord Nightmare profits!"

Scipio halted the magnet and he turned back to the salesman, giving a small smirk.

"Zat iz wat I thought… guardz, you may bring back ze mechanical 'uns."

All three of them were put back down on the floor and they collapsed as soon as the magnet's power was shut off. The guards surrounded them again.

"Disconnect zem," Scipio said tiredly.

The guards lunged out at them. Steve tried blocking the officers, but their hands found his connection cable and with a sharp tug, he collapsed to the ground, making a crackling sound. Walky was fiercely biting all fingers that got too close. A hand closed around his body and he did not have the time to pull himself free before his cable was pulled and he fell limp.

Hardy now stood by himself, using his large drill to keep them back. But one of the guards took out his gun and fired. The bullet snapped through his drill's wiring and it slowed to a stop, and all the guards were upon him at once. He thrashed about, punching them as hard as he could. A guard came up in front of him and he boxed the guard's face with his eye, striking him in the chin and throat before he was knocked over. He gasped as he landed on the floor.

They grabbed his wire and pulled. Hardy felt his eye snap fully open and blackness engulfed him. His sight disappeared, then his hearing, then his thoughts. Everything came to a sickening halt and he fell.

…_zzzZZZTTTTttt…_

Customer Service knew they had been saving his closest friend for last. Monsieur Goan did not look back at him as they held him there. Some of the guards that had left the room returned with a metal box that rattled and jumped in their grip. Scipio suddenly felt like showing-off, too proud that he and his men caught the rebels to not show their leader another new demonbeast model.

"Allow me to introduce a new product we haz added to ze catalogz, Devil Frog. And your friend may haz ze honorz to be ze first to try it!"

The guards opened the box and a small, green frog with yellow markings hopped out. Its small, beady eyes were bright red, but on its back, two small bat wings grew like an abnormal tumor. It looked up at Monsieur Goan, croaking… like a frog.

The chef took a step back, and the frog attacked. It leapt up on to his arm and he shook it off, backing up into the wall. The frog came hopping forward, jumping higher this time and on to his hat. Monsieur Goan leapt about, swatting at the creature.

Customer Service looked away, but Scipio forced him to watch with the blade of his knife at the back of his head. Monsieur Goan struggled, throwing himself against the wall repeatedly to try to shake the creature off of him. He fell to his hands, and the Devil Frog was absorbed into his back with only its small little wings remaining outside.

"Zat frog waz programmed to enter itz host'z body and follow commandz. It iz small, yes, but juz' think! A horde of zhese could turn Star Warriorz against zemselvez! Haha. Yes. Our technological advancementz are grand."

Customer Service sadly watched his old friend stand up, a blank expression on his face. His friend might have been taken, but his desires to destroy Nightmare only strengthened. Hate overwhelmed him. Nightmare probably laughed at his misery. His hatred only fed the dark emperor's power.

Suddenly, a guard ran into the room, stopping before Scipio and gasping for breath, giving a quick bow before he let out his news.

"Sir! Sir! I just got word that Lord Nightmare himself found the Prince! Both of them are in the throne room currently!"

"Wat? The Prince's been found!"

Almost all the guards gave off a sigh of relief at once, feeling their saved necks. Then, Scipio started to laugh. He grinned, staring down at Customer Service.

"Hah. Splendid! Maybe now I canz execute zis revolutionist without fearing my own death…"

"Sir, you cannot kill him."

"Wat? I cannot killz 'im? I demand you to tell me why!"

"Sir, Customer Service is by far Lord Nightmare's best salesman. He's the one who sells more than half of Lord Nightmare's products. He's by far more successful than the rest of the emperor's salesmen and if we were to kill him, he'd lose half the profits he makes. We cannot kill Customer Service or wipe his mind clean."

Scipio sat back, frustrated.

"Mm… but wat are we to do with youz?"

"Sir," One of the corporals said. "I'd highly suggest we take him to the new base and have him work in the fortress there. We can easily assign guards to monitor him."

"Youz hear zat, salezman? Youz luckier than your followerz… how about youz give uz one of your nice, big advertizing smilez?" Scipio growled as he pressed the knife blade to the salesman's throat. "We don't want any customerz to think differently, do we?"

"No, Sir," Customer Service said through clenched teeth, giving a very big, fake, salesman smile.

Scipio continued to stare hard into his eyes, a deep growl emitting from his throat.

"It'z not only youz guyz who are fighting for your livez –all of uz guardz and officerz had our life on ze line because of the mess you made for uz! Guardz! Sendz him away. I hope zis iz ze last I have to deal with him!"

"You haven't defeated me yet…" Customer Service hissed before the metal gates closed and the elevator lift disappeared into the darkness of the **E**.

* * *

Meta-K02 was falling, his little wings uselessly flapping at the air rushing past him. There was no power in them, maybe that was something he had to agree on with Dark Nebula to use them. The drivers in the cars lined up one after another in the traffic craned their heads to see what it was that was dropping like a sack of bricks from high above, but he was gone before they could blink. He slammed into a car hood, rolled off, and continued falling. Hot flashes of pain shot through his wings and he realized the impact had been hard enough to break their fragile frame.

Someone from a fancy limousine shouted something and several car horns blared. He held his head as he broke through a street sign. As if he had been falling through floors of a building, he sailed past the different street levels, each with its own traffic.

But Scipio had been right about Nightmare's sulk.

The emperor sat on his throne in his own dimension, staring out into the endless horizon of the distorted world he had created for himself to reside in. It now served to shut himself out from the rest of the world. He slowly raised a hand, conjuring up a mirror. Why was it, he who was king of hatred and envy, lord of despair and sadness, was so badly hurt by the same emotions he ruled over? The gems on his crown and necklace were dull, so were his eyes. His hands were cracked and the darkness from under his cape bled, creating small pools on his chessboard. How weak he was…

As he had with his very first demonbeast creation, he felt a touch of pride how closely related the little prince was to him… he had entire visions of the empire he could rule with the help of one more to accumulate more territory. He had given the boy the power to open up the Mirror World, which reminded him yet again he was dawdling in instructing the prince. He was to assist him stealing dreams and replacing them with nightmares! What a war he could start, a war all within the minds of the Star Warriors that fought against him. They would be helpless, and nothing could stop him!

But why had the boy done so poorly? Was Meta-K02 not powerful enough to be heir? Surely he must have been, to be the sole surviving experiment. But powerful or not, the boy had exposed something he had kept hidden from his creations since the building of the fortress. It was humiliating. The emperor's own heir, running around like a rabbit among wolves before he finally turned and began to fight back. Pathetic. WHY? He question was driving him mad.

His blood should have made him fearfully strong. He wondered if there had been something he had done wrong during the designing process. Impossible! He had been creating demonbeasts for hundreds of thousands of years!

Then, he heard Dark Nebula scream for him. Its tiny shriek of terror struck him like a solid wall, smashing through his depressed state. It was at that moment, when his all-knowing mind began to draw its connections with his surroundings that he suddenly saw Meta-K02 falling… somewhere in the city… why was he falling? Why was he outside of the palace?

Panic took hold and he stood up, trying to sense which direction the pitiful cry was coming from. His heir was in danger!

Nightmare concentrated on what little power he had left and took the form of a starry orb hovering above his chessboard. Another crackle of energy and he was flying through a portal he had opened out into the streets where he shot overhead towards the falling figure.

Meta-K02 looked below him, watching the hard metal platform come closer. Hitting it would kill him; he knew that. He clamped his eyes shut when he should have been just seconds to breaking apart against the wall. His body would have split open and his metal components would scatter, dyeing the platform a deep crimson red. But it never happened.

He opened his eyes and everything was frozen. He floated upside down and less than a meter above the sidewalk platform. Gazing around him, cars had been thrown aside, some with crushed drivers. He was lifted by his foot and turned right side-up. Dizzily, he looked up at Nightmare, who was breathing hard and almost shaking.

"L… let's go…" Was all the emperor said in a hoarse voice as his hand, which was so much larger than his, took Meta-K02's.

Meta-K02 was suddenly submerged within Nightmare's cape as the emperor wrapped both of them within its folds and as he flung it back open, they were no longer on the streets but in the throne room.

The emperor looked down at him again, now noticing his broken wings. He carefully fingered the breaks, sat down on his throne and summoned thread from plain air.

Meta-K02 buried his face into Nightmare's swaying cloak and lost himself among the stars in the fabric. He had long forgotten the anger in his creator's eyes and how he had turned him away. He could only think how terrified he had been falling.

Nightmare truly was a master at his trade. His fingers were precise and almost graceful as they wove the slender thread through the little demonbeast prince's wings, mending them without a trace of flaw. Meta-K02 tensed a little, finding himself crying. Regardless of the icy aura that encircled the only one he could ever consider to call 'father', he felt warmer… safer…

Nightmare gently ran his hand along the base of his wings, where most winged demonbeasts felt pleasure being stroked. This experiment, however miserably it had failed in his initial expectations… it was the only one, out of the hundreds of others that had survived. This puffball… it was all of his failures… his pain… his weaknesses… yet he was the equivalent of his child.

He would have to question his closest advisors later about what had happened; but now, he silently vowed that the boy would become his heir and never, would he let the little prince out of the sight of his all-seeing eye again…

**X—X—X**

**Author Note:** I promised myself I wouldn't look at the word count and let that stop me from writing what I needed to… but… I did. It's… a lot. There is no need to further comment on it. Maybe I should be relieved if there are still people who made it down to this bottom author note? Now, it's very likely some parts sound nicely put-together while others looked slapped-together. I'll admit it now; Customer Service's speech probably is the best-written part while the scenes at the E are not very good. That part was last to be finished and I was starting to get too anxious to care too much about it. But I had to scoot this story along a little bit. I promise you all: NEXT CHAPTER, META KNIGHT WILL BE OLDER AND THE CHAPTER WILL HAVE THE STUFF YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. No more Anti-Loyalists. I got rid of them. The next time we will ever see them? In the anime, battling Kirby. This is one of the tie-ins to the show.

…does it strike any of you odd that Customer Service might actually _hate_ his job? Look at what he does for a living: selling his OWN KIND to someone like Dedede. Sure, he has a great smile whenever he's trying to sell something to Dedede, but… _aren't salesmen supposed to smile and be friendly to customers? I mean; they probably won't sell anything if they don't? _Customer Service, I have a burning desire to actually give you a real NAME instead of just the title of your job! T_T

Sheesh. I spent the most time of all rewriting Customer Service's little speech for his plans for revolution. I found 14 different drafts hanging around my desk area… but it _is_ the central focus of the chapter. I hope I still could satisfy the need for some action with the chase out in traffic.

**Readers, this is me against all of you:** This story is a prequel to the events of the anime. Notice how a lot of these 'jig saw puzzle pieces' haven't yet been fit together into what we see in the show. When this story is completely finished, catch me missing a loophole anywhere and you guys win; but, if I manage to explain every last detail, every last character and plot item that relates back into the anime, then I win. So say I totally forgot to bring in the GSA and the entire story went on without them. The idea is to match EVERYTHING back into the anime and help ensure I got everything I needed to include.

No prizes or anything, just the satisfaction that you proved some fangirl out there in the world, wrong.

Please review.


	5. Chapter V: Millennia

**Author Note:** Tch. High school. Miss Cozmi's a sophomore now. There's no more holding back. They say the junior year is a hell hole and either I finish all of my works and editing within the time frame of this year and summer or be forced to weigh between finishing this and the ever important test preparations.

And as a side comment, I hope this update gets posted on the archive's front page because last time it didn't. A little weird, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

I will admit: my absolute major problem is that I try too hard to _not_ edit and do it perfect the first time. I hate editing. No one reads my edits anyway. That and overdoing the chapters. You guys are probably going to see a lot of trimming that could have been done, but I have difficultly to part with a lot of it. Dude, it's like asking a painter to trim the edges of their work because there's 'too much crap to look at'. Hah. They teach us in school to write as 'concisely' and 'to-the-point' as we can, but… that's never going to happen here. I'm not even going to bother apologizing for long chapters. There's too much I wanted to include in this beginning part and I would agree it's jammed pack. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. XD

**Important editing changes!**

-Meta Knight does not know how to fly quite yet. I've decided it'd be more interesting to see him _learn to fly_ than already know.

-Dark Nebula, I decided, would take too much away from Mety learning everything on his own so I'm getting rid of the entire concept. It had some importance in Beyond the Mirror, but I'm actually completely changing the storyline for it.

-Readers of Angels of Prophecy probably understand this one: Meta Knight no longer has some weird, funky power over fire and electricity. I don't need no magic pixy powers going on, especially since they're elemental ones. The only power that Meta Knight has out of the ordinary is the one explained in this chapter. The other character that was the balance to the fire and electricity has also been changed and he will be coming up in the future chapters.

**Disclaimer: **Cosmicgiraffe does not own any characters besides Scipio. All other characters belong to Nintendo and HAL. Cosmicgiraffe does not own any third party rights to the Kirby franchise. Story is fan-made by Cosmicgiraffe.

**X—X—X**

**-Chapter V: Millennia-**

Nightmare Enterprises…

The metropolis had been unusually quiet for the past years. While the fires of conquered planets still dotted the empire's boundaries, its very heart lay dormant. All projects related to the monarchy and wars were ceased, which left plenty of room for light rumors although most had dissipated shortly after. The silence had made the Prince's crowning all the more grand when it had arrived, however, but then came nothing. Lord Nightmare shut both himself and the newly crowned prince in the palace and hadn't made a public statement since.

Very quiet indeed…

Alongside one sky road, a streetlight's bulb made a small click as its glow wavered. Another click. The entire road's lights faltered, bringing drivers in their vehicles to look up before slowly returning their attention to the road and honking at the driver in front of them. About a minute's pause. Then, a dark shadow swept across Nightmare Enterprises, starting from its crowned palace… and bleeding into its outer rim.

The blackout took the form of a dust storm as it extinguished lights and electronics alike. Those out in the streets and within the buildings screamed as the world under them seemingly vanished. But opening their eyes, their eyes were drawn to the faint glow above the city, now visible with the absence of light pollution. Stars. Most had never seen them before and their reactions to such haunting glows were mixed.

His consciousness reached out with its apparition-like hands, tearing through the streets and buildings as it drank the energy dry. His hands branched into hundreds more, following the shape and contour of every block and down the sides of skyscrapers, deep into the city's core in its mad search. But his all-seeing eyes struck the city's outer walls and he withdrew. Nightmare opened his eyes and at once, the power surged back into the city.

The insolent brat was nowhere to be found.

Nightmare's shoulder plates pricked upwards as he straightened, the dark particles under his cloak churning. He thoughtfully drummed his sharp nails on the balcony railing and he stared off into his empire.

_I take my eyes off of him for a minute and he's gone! _

Ten years… demonbeast years, that is. For the rest of the universe, a new millennium had unfolded, hearkening to new, idiotic, so-called 'heroes' along with their short-lived legacies. Spawns of the old fools, he thought. How dull it was to live forever when his only pastime was to deal with generation after generation.

… but something was stirring the stars, Nightmare could feel it in the tremors of his blood. A man of gold armor was bringing the dawn of a great war, so the stars murmured; but their secrets of the man's face and identity had yet to be revealed… the dark emperor felt a greater need to keep Prince Meta-K02 close to him and under his watch.

But the little rat was gone. It disturbed him greatly that the boy was beginning to deliberately block his consciousness from reaching him –the fact that he even had the power to do so, even more– the little prince was growing very distant from him… Nightmare took one final glance into the city before he took his cape and wrapped himself tightly before descending down the steps back into the library.

This room was the only furnished room of the palace and completely private to himself and Prince Meta-K02, and as more of a satisfaction to himself, the only room he didn't have to stoop down or shrink himself to stand comfortably. _No, the new base would certainly have taller rooms. He would order it so! _All the same, he had enjoyed in the past to walk about these books. He had acquired his collection during his conquests, but reading the hundreds of thousands of books covering only a scant range of history reminded him how pitiful these other races were. How deserving they were to simply not exist. He didn't read much anymore.

He came down to the observatory platform, a ledge high above the main floor of the library and under the domed ceiling that looked out into the universe. There was an ornate telescope with large, brass dials and crystalline lens that had been a fine prize from an earlier war, although it remained only for show. Nightmare used nothing but his own consciousness' eye to see… and even that was beginning to fail him. His inner peace thinking about his dearly loved collections spiraled out of control back to Meta-K02.

… _Meta-K02_

Project Meta-K02… the greatest experiment he as a scientist had dared attempt. His successor had been the first of his creations to be close in blood to him, more because it made him an ideal heir… but the emperor had other, relentless thoughts. Did giving the boy his full DNA make him the most powerful mortal being alive? Was that why he could block his consciousness—because he had inherited some of his queer talents for distorting matter? All it had taken was a drop of his blood…

It was certainly no new thought to him, in fact, one had mused about long before. Should Meta-K02 become the heir he had imagined, the boy would prove an entire new race of intellectually smarter, physically stronger, and invincible demonbeasts possible. Only a drop, he could father soldiers never before imagined. He would erase the other races of the universe to house these servants, erasing the existing demonbeast race as well. He would have little need for them anymore, for now his scientific advancements were too mighty for the universe to prevail against any longer!

He would be the god of this new race… the elite race. The only race.

_Ah, but for anything of that to work, Meta-K02 has to confirm that my DNA won't poison him… _He grimly thought. _Perhaps at this point, seeing that he appears healthy enough, maybe…._

The DNA strands had to be chemically stable… else the prince could drop dead at any given moment. He couldn't afford to lose such an expensive and valuable project now that the universe was quaking under the torrents of the New Age. Not this time. This was something he himself had not been able to foresee. Was it because it had been an undecided one? How unsettling… he needed to know who this gold-armored man was…

… _because this man will change the universe… I know it… everything… everything must revolve around this man… but WHY? Why can I not see him?_

* * *

Scipio was down in the captains' lounge along with the other commanding officers around a table piled with odd bits and ends, anything to use as chip for their card game as they wagered, cursed at once another, and passed the endless idle years away. Most of them were a lot crabbier than before and currently, the new metal plated tail that he had surgically replaced his old stump was the source of most of it for him.

One of the officers was about to let loose a storm of curses when he suddenly backed off, actually, all the other commanders did. Scipio looked behind him, abruptly standing up to bow down to Nightmare who was almost breathing down his neck.

"Mi'Lord! How… how surprizing for youz to… come see me… eh… wat iz it?"

"Scipio, I have a very… special request. I— "

The emperor was abruptly cut short as the general laughed almost hysterically and Nightmare just stared in shock along with all the other commanders.

"Hah. Haha… HA… ze boy…" The lizard guffawed. "I will haz nothing to do wit ze boy! Hah. Yes. NOTHING. Nothing wit ze boy! Do not ask me where he iz, I do not knowz. I am DONE dealing wit 'im! Haha ha…"

Nightmare felt a snarl build along his jagged teeth, but he restrained it back. So Scipio had already guessed what he was about to talk about…

"Yes… it's about Meta-K02. I want you to be his personal instructor from now on."

He waited for a reaction, but Scipio only stared back.

"Well?"

"EH? Youz serious? Ze boy iz unteachable! Youz wantz me to be hiz nanny?"

Nightmare slowly exhaled and he raised a hand, motioning to the door.

"Please follow me."

The other officers whispered among themselves as they watched Scipio stiffly pick up his tail and follow the emperor out into the halls, closing the door behind them. Nightmare waited until they had walked a good distance away before he continued.

"Yes. I know what an intolerable nuisance he is, but I want you to give him military discipline so that he _will_ be teachable!" Nightmare grinded through his teeth. "I know exactly what my subjects say about him! He acts like a whining demonbeast pup and talks like a brat. Hah. He IS one. I allowed him to be one. Scipio, I sense a war coming and I need him to start learning to become a warlord. There isn't enough time!"

"My lord, zis is absurd! I am a general! Why do youz ch—"

"SILENCE."

Scipio snapped his mouth shut, biting his tongue as the emperor leaned very close into the lizard's face. The endless tract of stars reflected off of his shades stared hard into his soul.

"Do you take me seriously?" Nightmare asked. "You really should… because I am not in a forgiving mood and I haven't been for a very long time now. You fail me, and I promise that you'll find your way to a trash incinerator."

"Yes… my lord…" Scipio uttered.

Nightmare straightened and turned to look out one of the palace windows. Still burning with anger, he said in a low voice,

"Teach him to be obedient and if he refuses, use whatever you'd like. I want him to be ready to start acting like a prince by the end of tomorrow, understand? I'll be disappointed in you if you fail." Nightmare called, drifting away into the darkness.

Scipio felt the frills along his throat, which had severely tightened.

_S***_

* * *

Prince Meta-K02 peered out from under the long, arching bridge as the dimmed streetlights returned to their full brightness, and from inside the buildings, he heard the sounds of TVs and computers searching for a signal. He gave a sour glance back towards the palace where it waited behind the veils of factory fumes in hushed silence. His wings twitched. He had better things to do then to be locked in a library and study about people and things that had nothing to do with him.

He walked across the bars lining the railway's arch, hugging close to the support beam as he carefully balanced upon each rod. There was nothing but air and traffic below him and his bat wing fluttered so longingly as the wind blew under them. Maybe this was how it felt to fly, if only… if only he could.

Approaching a construction worker lift that had long since been used by the actual laborers, he got on and took the wall-less elevator down. The noise of traffic rushed past and the buildings darkened, the neon signs lessening until he was submerged in the lower city's dusty grays and rusted, copper browns. The lift gradually slowed until it came to complete halt, along with the rush of his heart. He stepped off and slipped into the shadows, following the faint sound of shouts. A silence. Meta-K02 paused. Squeezing between two dumpsters, the demonbeast prince emerged out into a back alley on a fire escape balcony where the cheers were much clearer.

Meta-K02 breathlessly closed his eyes. He could hear them…

"Pass it over here! Knock him down Xeir!"

"Block him! Quick!"

His eyes moved across the small, impoverished clearing as recollections of each of his hiding places where he had watched their games over the years, came to him. Inside of the air vent… under the broken down car… all of them held memories of a boy's loneliness. The kids continued to play, unaware of his whispering presence there. Made up of mechanical and non-mechanical demonbeasts alike, were in midgame, kicking a large, deformed wad of rubber coated with white and black paint between two overturned truck hulls that served as goal posts.

Meta-K02 placed a hand on the wall as he leaned against it with a small, lonely sigh. Oh… why couldn't he just walk up to them and join in their fun? He had watched the game played enough to have known all the rules and tricks, and listen to them cheer and laugh to have known all their names (nicknames too!) He knew he could play just as good as any of them! No, _better_! He practiced the moves hard because he had promised himself that he would be one of them… he would be so perfect… they'd pick him first to be on their teams… they'd cheer for him… crowd around him… someday, he'd join them… maybe today was the day… no… he sank back into the shadows. Today wasn't the day… it would never be the day…

He brought a hand to his mouth to bite on. Would they admire him for all of his wealth and power? … Or would they laugh at him; for he—royal as he was—desired to be in their company as badly as he did? He desperately wanted to impress them all, especially the bigger, tougher kids of the group. That was the only way he could ever make friends.

Meta-K02 shrank into the shadows, but only for a second because at that moment, another player had entered the field and everyone else ran out to greet him.

It was the new kid again.

Meta-K02 felt a sharp sting on his tongue, biting on it with his own fangs. He stared hard at the small, floating purple ball. The boy was very small compared to all the other children… weak looking. The prince had to squint to see the orange tuft of hair between the running players. Lola. That was the kid's sissy name. He felt a sob catch in his throat, but he suppressed it. He hated the boy. Badly.

He forced himself to turn away. It wasn't fair… this other kid had come out of nowhere and had taken everything he had ever hoped to achieve. Lola had made friends with nearly all of them the very first day he had come; yet he, prince of all demonbeasts had tried countless times. He wasn't even good at playing soccer. His kicks were too weak to make it far and he never could score a goal. Lola didn't deserve it. Actually, for a newcomer, he was the most popular with all of them. FOR DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. **NOTHING.**

Shouts brought him slamming back to where he was and he stole a glance around the corner. One of the big guys had shot a kick to score, but too hard. The ball flew out of boundaries… towards him.

Meta-K02 hesitated, suddenly so alarmed. This was his chance! What was he _waiting_ for? Now was the only time he would ever dare to break the wall of isolation that he had been imprisoned behind his whole life… but what if he screwed up? What if… they rejected him? That was the one thing he feared most… oh… he could _never_ live if he messed it up… but he was afraid of living like this forever, hiding in the shadows, heart sighing with jealousy. He couldn't cheat on himself any longer; he knew that. That tomorrow would never happen….

Letting out a shaky breath, he opened his eyes and pushed forward, concentrating hard on the ball. It hit the ground with a soft thud before it slowly came rolling to his feet. The footsteps of the running players gradually halted. They had noticed him.

_Look up! Look up!_

He did, meeting their surprised gazes and he shyly smiled, heart pounding in his throat and face reddened slightly. Was he backing out of this? He couldn't bring himself to talk, after all these terrible years, and he dearly hoped the smile would be sufficient.

"_Hey, you there! Come join our team!"_

"_No, join _our_ team!"_

He almost believed the voices he heard in his head; but suddenly, they all screamed. The game was abandoned and each kid ran off into a separate direction, fleeing into the darkness until Meta-K02 stood alone on the empty field. Too shocked for words, his mouth hung dumbly open. What had happened?

A sniffle, then…

_No… no… I won't cry… they can't make me cry…_

The little prince held it back; but in defiance, a fat tear flooded his eyes. Why… why did they all _run_? Wiping his eyes, Meta-K02 slowly lifted his head towards the heavens where the streetlights were intensely bright after the blackout. From the smoke stacks of a factory came fluttering embers that crumpled in the air. He felt the black snows' hot flecks touch his face as he stood there feeling sorry for himself.

_Why… I don't understand why…_

But he _did_ know. They ran, for he was a prince, and they were nothing but ragged beggars.

* * *

The little prince left the outside world and slowly crept back into the palace, walking up the stairs away from the main floors. He was repeatedly told that he was forbidden to wander about the main floors, and especially to leave the palace. The upper towers of the palace made up the only world he was allowed in… such a sad little place. There were only adults there… guards… scientists…

…and Father.

As he approached his playroom, Meta-K02 felt a dark shadow seem to pass over him. Wildly looking around himself, he frowned as he realized he was completely alone. Some small paranoia in his heart had grown over the years… he shut the door behind him.

Piled around the carpet of his playroom was every possession anyone his age could have ever wanted. He owned hundreds of starship models and figurines. There were numerous stuffed animals and electronic toys. He walked past the stack of dormant Robo pets still in their original boxes… he didn't need another temporary 'friend' to self-destruct again.

Waving his hand, he jumped up on to the couch and buried his face into a pillow, watching with half bored eyes as the TV orb began to fill up with an image of racecars shooting down a track at one of the other bases. The commentator's remarks eventually droned out the hurt in his heart—for the time being—with TV, he could forget that he was alone, exactly why he no longer played with any of the toys that lay about in the room.

The room's door slammed open, a couple of footsteps, then Meta-K02 gasped as he was snatched up by his wings, lifted straight off the couch.

"Hello, brat. It lookz like we're going to bez spending more timez together…"

"What? I'm watching TV! Let me go!" He cried.

"I haz direct orderz from Lord Nightmare to make sure youz do studying and if I haz to play nanny, youz going to wish youz did!" Scipio snarled, tongue tickling Meta-K02's face.

The boy kicked and struggled; but to his dismay, he couldn't fight back. He was carried all the way from his play room down to the throne room where the guards on either side of the front doors pulled it open, watching with raised eyebrows as Meta-K02 continued to scream.

Scipio walked up the stairs and deposited the prince in his throne. Meta-K02 gave a big 'Huff!' crossing his arms as he stared back at the lizard.

"I hate being locked up there all the time! Reading's boring!" He snorted.

"Ah, but youz will becuz youz iz ze Prince! Ze empire will not be run by a stupid brat who doesn't even knowz half our history!"

"But I don't _want_ to be prince! I want to be a racecar driver."

Hmm… racecar driver. Not bad, Meta-K02 thought. Certainly, it was better than doing what princes did, sit in a palace… being bored all the time. Yes. He would be a racecar driver and fans would watch him zoom around the track, knocking the other cars out of his way and creating a tornado of a wind behind him…

"Ah, sure. Let uz see if Lord Nightmare approvez…" Scipio spat.

"Well who says I have to be prince?"

"Who do youz think?"

Scipio began pacing in front of his throne, muttering to himself. His metal tail clanked behind him when he suddenly threw his hands up, crying out.

"Lord Nightmare willz slit my throat… becuz of ze brat! Why? I am no nanny! I am a general! A high official! Why? I willz die in SHAME. _SHAME! _And ze brat iz unteachable!"

The lizard sat down at the top of the stairs, rubbing his temples as he hissed,

"I hate youz brat."

"I hate you too."

Neither of them said anything for a while and Meta-K02 slumped back, feeling anxious. So his beloved Father had put him up to this… he hugged his wings close to him. Why couldn't he just be left alone? He desired attention more than anything... from people his age, that is, not from all these 'supervisors'. At that moment, there was a knock on the throne room doors and a demonbeast poked his head in.

"My Lord… oh! Uh, Prince! I… didn't expect to see you… where might Lord Nightmare be?"

"Wat iz it? Scipio demanded irritably. "Youz certainly won't gain admittance to see Lord Nightmare at zis time, no. He iz too busy. Ze prince iz 'ere and iz old enough. Why don't you ask 'im? _About time anywayz…_"

The demonbeast wheeled in, followed by a whole squad of officers dragging in two prisoners. The first officer came up to bow down, taking off his helmet to kiss Meta-K02's hand as customary.

"Prince, we arrested these two thieves who have apparently been looting the tax collecting starships as well as some of the supply trains. The boy appears to be an assistant for the older one. What do you want us to do with them?"

The room fell silent and Meta-K02, with a pale face, stared down at a chained Lola. Both prisoners were trembling, not daring to open their eyes and look up at their ruler. Any crime directly against the monarchy called for harsh punishment. The death penalty executed in any way, shape, or form as he pleased.

Scipio just stood there, stunned at the turn of luck. It was the perfect chance to get the boy to become a feared lord… he was about to quietly whisper a suggestion when the boy stood up on his own, starry blue cape lifting off the floor.

"Bring him to me," He murmured, pointing at the younger of the two prisoners.

Giving a squeak, Lola struggled as the guards did the prince's bidding and dragged him forward. The other prisoner cried out desperately.

"No! Don't take him! My nephew! Don't make the poor boy explain! No! NO! We didn't do anything! Let _me_ explain! We—"

"Shut up, old man." Meta-K02 said with a sadistic little smile, immediately silencing the protests and the talk among the guards as well.

Now standing alone, Lola sobbed as Meta-K02 circled him, casually pacing with his long, royal blue cape trailing behind him. Lola's violet-purple eyes couldn't break away from the hard, gold eyes that pierced through him and slowly, he shrank down low to the blood-red carpet, begging for life.

"How unkind of you, to steal from me…" Meta-K02 said. "Tell me, do you not deserve to be punished for what you did?"

At this point, the little prince completely forgot about the other prisoner. The only one that mattered to him was the one he had chained under him. Now Lola would pay… here, in the palace where he had nothing to save his sorry self. His decision was the final one… _and there's nothing you can do about it._ He purred.

"Prince… ple…ple…please…" Lola choked back. "My uncle didn't do anything! Neither of us did! Help us…"

"Really?" Meta-K02 said softly, before he suddenly shouted, "REALLY? _And you expect me to forgive you?"_

His shout caught all of the guards off guard and they watched as the demonbeast prince step down on Lola's foot, trapping him under him. His heart burned with hate… oh, did it burn… he hated Lola for all the kid was worth.

_He would ruin him…_

"Guard!" He called, pulling his eyes away. "Your name?"

"Kittari Hattari, my Prince," the robotic demonbeast answered with a swift bow.

Meta-K02 gazed up at the sharp, sun and moon staffs the demonbeast held, giving a small sigh of wonder. He ran his tongue over his fangs that were now beginning to unlock and come forward.

"You, take them away. Take them to the dungeons and chop them in half!" He spat.

"Yes, Prince."

Lola and his uncle both screamed as the demonbeast came and took them, dragging them away. Their terrified eyes were so wonderful to look down upon… especially Lola's… his obsession for the boy's destruction could finally rest. But his face fell as Scipio placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Well zen…" The lizard said with a relieved smile. "I have wonderful newz to report to Lord Nightmare… ha… haha. Wonderful newz…"

Scipio left the room and the heavy doors slammed closed. Silence again. Reason and plain compassion had finally caught up to him. What if they really were innocent and he had just punished them? He shivered at the thought of the darkness that bled from his heart. Now that he considered it, wouldn't sparing Lola earn him eternal gratitude from all of the kids? They would have viewed him as a hero… but now they would only look at him as a murderer. He threw away the one chance he had left. He broke down into helpless tears. WHY DID EVERYTHING HE DO HAD TO BE _WRONG_?

He abandoned his seat and ran out of the throne room, scurrying down the hall as fast as his cape and heavy gold would allow him. Room numbers flew by before he found what he was looking for. He entered the unsupervised lab and stared ahead at the delivery system. No one was watching, so he came up to the computer and typed in the new base's star code and leapt for the glow of light. He dematerialized in mid-gasp and his particles separated, reforming his body thousands of light years away. He blinked, feet landing and he stepped off the platform, too dizzy to stand up straight. First time he had done it, after watching countless others do it… and thankfully, no one was there to have stopped him. He wandered about the room, admiring the high tech computers and machinery. Everything at the other base was old and rusted…

The little prince glanced back at the transporter, still too afraid of what he had done to go back quite yet. Under no condition did he want to run into Father at this time.

Meta-K02 came over to the door and it slid open for him even before he came anywhere close to touching its metal, immediately inviting in a gust of wind. Holding his cape down, he gaped into the dark expanse. The halls here were vast voids large enough for warships to pass through. With all the open air, his wings were fluttering again. He came out to see it better for himself, already mightily impressed when he saw the looming control tower of a destrayer pass by. He watched it for a moment before he was reminded that he wanted to check this place out. There weren't any elevators, but rather small trains of platforms that zoomed about the base on rails. He got on and picked a random button

He found the door and it slid open for him, immediately inviting in a gust of wind. Holding his cape down, he walked on to the walkway. He let his jaw drop as he realized just how big this base was compared to the only home he knew. The halls were vast, open expanses large enough for warships to pass through. With all the open air, his wings were fluttering again. He ran down the hall, catching the wind under his wings. Although the palace had secret hiding places and forgotten places to explore, this base was a ton better.

Then, he turned to watch the control tower of a warship pass. He stood at the edge of the walkway, gazing up at the heavily cannoned ship drifted by, reaching the intersection before the ceiling above it opened up to reveal the high buildings of the city. Unlike the skyscrapers of the other base, all the buildings were outlined in a pale blue and shone in their modern brilliance. Meta-K02 truly was impressed… but why in the world did he have to live at the other dump when he could be living here?

A small train of transporters zoomed overhead, carrying a small cargo of fuel. That reminded him, he wanted to check this place out. Finding an elevator wasn't easy, but he finally did locate one and call it down. Geez! The elevator was high tech too! There were too many buttons to choose from. Meta-K02 eyed them all before with a shrug, jumped up to press down on one of the top floors. He patiently waited, for once, and the door opened to the business sector.

Meta-K02 entered the hall and walked out on to the room's high balcony. Below were hundreds of demonbeasts all clad in suits and ties or business dresses were scattered about the computers or crowded around the screens displaying listings he couldn't read this far away. There were private rooms along the walkway and he came buy each, hearing the voices of salesmen and women talking with clients. He walked a little further when an imperial guard stepped out of one of the rooms up ahead, busy typing something on his phone. Strange… a guard in a fully business area and not just any guard, an imperial guard from the palace. Meta-K02 suddenly became interested so he pulled his cape over his head and commanded the particles around him to reflect themselves and hide him from view. He passed by the guard and crept into the room, settling himself in the back corner. He heard a very, very familiar voice.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but we cannot accept refunds. It's our policy, and that demonbeast's gone anyways!"

"You good for nothing, cheating rat!" A heavy woman's voice shrieked. "That demonbeast was completely useless! The thing didn't last a second against that town hero! I want her dead! She's stealing all of my popularity!"

"Well, Your Majesty…"

"Don't you DARE talk to me!"

Customer Service and the woman fought, she screaming at him and he trying to get her to settle down. Meta-K02 couldn't see any of it, much to his disappointment. Who in the world was he talking to? From where he was, the screen displaying the NME logo was blocking his view, and moving out to where he could see the entire thing would make too much noise… and might get him caught.

"Look, Your Majesty. We cannot give you a refund… but…" Meta-K02 could sense a sly grin. "There's a new demonbeast model that we have not yet released in our catalogs. And for a special deal, I'll sell it to you. You don't know the power of Noddy until you've seen it, Your Majesty. You will be most pleased with it."

"A new demonbeast? Hmm… well…"

Another, timid voice called,

"Your Majesty! Can't you see this is another scam?"

"Silence! I'm buying it! Send it here NOW!"

Customer Service opened a desk drawer and pulled out a calculator along with a separate panel displaying a large list.

"Mm… are you going to pay us for once or shall I add it to your… ever growing debt list? You still owe several millions… might I warn you that you better pay that off soon?"

"OH! JUST SEND IT!""

"Your Majesty…" The other voice whined. "The treasury's completely empty! You used it all up to buy these demonbeasts!"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I'll just tax the townspeople and pay it off later. Hey, you! Salesman! I'm buying it!"

"… I'll… contact the head of the department and submit an order form. Just wait patiently…"

He turned off the screen before the woman could scream at him again and type something into a separate computer. The guard at the side of the screen barely opened his eyes after his disrupted nap.

"So… uh, what happens when they can't pay?"

"They pay for their debt with their planet and people. I think the empire gains more from just debtors than what it gets from the war… I highly doubt that the head of the department is going to send the thing, seeing that they've completely run their treasury dry… but it's not my problem to deal with these cases. They're probably going to send some troops down to demand for the money."

"Duh huh huh." The guard snorted. "Why are they stupid?"

"Mm… we shall never know... perhaps it is not for me to say." Customer Service murmured, although the guard was no longer listening.

More customers called. Meta-K02 was frustrated enough to only be able to hear their voices, but now he was completely bored. There wasn't another interesting conversation until much later…

"Ah, good day, Your Grace. How may I help you? I assume that the demonbeast you ordered… ah, which one was it… Masher, has pleased your wishes?"

"It has… but my dear little boy wants another one to wrestle the first." An icy, male voice said.

Customer Service was silent and stiffly, he pressed a button on the control panel. Meta-K02 could hear the crackling of electricity on the other side of the screen and the roar of a demonbeast.

Meta-K02 had to crane to listen to what Customer Service said then to himself, all alone there at the control panel.

"… wrestle the other one… _are we animals?"_

The salesman had to turn away from his desk, sinking back in his chair. He kept muttering something, but the prince couldn't hear it and quietly, he wondered what was wrong. He continued to stand there at the back of the room, starting to get bored when the guard finally woke up and looked out the door, cursing at the other guard who wasn't back from his break. He left… and Meta-K02 pulled off his cape and appeared. Customer Service, hearing a noise behind him turned around, and flinched.

"Oh! I uh… didn't expect to be confronted by Your Grace…" He stammered, standing up abruptly to give a stiff bow. "What… brings you here to this base?"

"Nothing. Just exploring this dingy place. What is this room? Who were those people you were talking to?"

"Oh, just… just customers of Lord Nightmare's."

"Customers? I didn't know we sold anything."

"Lord Nightmare offers a wide… selection of… products. I'm just a salesman." He nervously said, pushing his glasses up.

Meta-K02 couldn't help but press some of the buttons, earning him a frown from the salesman.

"How can there be a queen if Father and I rule the universe?"

Customer Service breathed a sigh, grimly pushing his glasses up.

"Ah, maybe you don't realize just how big this universe really is. Understandable. You've never left the palace much, I suppose. Nevertheless, the empire is about the quarter of the size of the known universe. There happens to be a lot of customers from outside the empire who buy from us."

Meta-K02 turned the screen back on, hoping that someone would appear again. All he received was a blank one. While he was busy playing around with the computer, he didn't notice the way Customer Service was scrutinizing him. The salesman noted just how close the little prince looked like the emperor… the crown… the starry blue cape… he bit his lip. How alarming it was. Had Nightmare truly taken a once innocent little idiot of a kid and turned him into the terror he is now? At least he got more information than what the public did.

But while Meta-K02 had his back turned to him, Customer Service made a small, sly grin. Perhaps his grand revolution had failed… but… there was a better way.

"Prince… there's something you really should see. Could you possibly… get this cuff off?"

The salesman rolled up his sleeve where a metal ring with a small, pulsing light was enclosed around his wrist. Meta-K02's eyes widened like any dumbstruck boy. Only the most dangerous violators got such security. Although the chain links themselves were invisible, pulling too far away would set off their electrical charge. Wow… a real criminal. He stared at the man full of admiration. Still, he was more than certain that the salesman would run for it the moment he was free; but it'd be more interesting to watch the guards chase him anyway. He concentrated on the cuff.

Surprisingly, the inner workings were simple. He tapped at it with his mind, commanding the particles to shift out of the way as he took a look. All he really needed to do was loosen one of the screws, push it back, and the cuff should open. Maybe he would never have the fierce power that Father had to bend the universe around him, but he could move and twist objects a fair amount.

Customer Service watched, completely astounded as the bolts securing the cuff together loosen under Meta-K02's steady gaze. The boy's eyes were pure white and actually, the salesman was starting to feel edgy. Maybe what was scarier than seeing Nightmare use his powers was this mere boy using the same, mysterious command. But the cuff clicked open and he easily slid it off, unable to keep his mouth shut in awe. Customer Service recovered and he gave a nod.

"Please follow me, quickly. There might not be much time if I'm going to show you it…"

"What is it?" Meta-K02 said impatiently. "I want to know!"

He felt a tantrum build up when he found himself ignored. Customer Service was at the door, looking down the walkway in both directions before he motioned Meta-K02 to follow him. They first approached a large, computerized listing of something the little prince couldn't even read, the words were flashing by so fast. The salesman looked at it, turning to his watch before he started down again. He pushed Meta-K02 ahead of him into one of the sales offices with a door that had been left wide open. Inside, they heard a woman laugh a painfully fake, enthusiastic laugh.

They stood at the doorway and DARN IT. Meta-K02 couldn't see whom the saleswoman was talking to! Yet again, the large screen displaying NME's logo was blocking his view. Customer Service checked his watch again.

"She just placed the customer's order on the system's database… any moment now…" He murmured to Meta-K02. "Follow me. We need to get to the other room."

Meta-K02 couldn't contend his excitement. Everything about this made him feel like a true convict, listening in on the woman ripping the customer off on a bad deal and sneaking around the base. Customer Service stopped in front of a locked door.

"Prince… could you open this?"

Once again, the demonbeast prince's eyes turned white, but this time, his cape lifted up to reveal a black field of stars… just like the void under Lord Nightmare's cape. The salesman almost wanted to duck, expecting an explosion from the way the kid was unleashing something so profound as to undo all the locking mechanisms inside of the door. The light on the lock turned green and it opened. The boy walked inside and Customer Service shut his mouth closed, following him in and bringing them both to hide behind a vacant desk.

"So… is something supposed to happen?"

"Just wait…" Was all that the salesman said in reply.

The little prince was about to question Customer Service more when the back door in the room opened and several guards entered, wheeling in a capsule containing what looked like a sedated demonbeast. The purple, spiny creature had half open eyes that stared up at the ceiling and its body was completely still. Meta-K02 swallowed. What was wrong with it? Was it…

While the saleswoman continued to talk, the guards opened up the cylinder and took the creature out, putting it down on the delivery machine platform. One of the uniformed officers took out a gun-like object and holding down its trigger, he pointed it at the demonbeast's head and focused the projected red dot of light squarely on its forehead. Seconds passed. Customer Service had already moved to cover the boy's mouth with his arm when Meta-K02 let out a gasp of horror.

The demonbeast's eyes had suddenly widened with a flash of red in response. It wasn't a gun, Meta-K02 suddenly realized, it was a transmitter that had sent a small electrical charge, activating the dormant demonbeast. It did not even have the time to thrash about, because light flared up underneath the demonbeast. With a blinding flash, it was gone. Meta-K02 could hear a small cry in the back of his throat, muffled by Customer Service's arm. The guards didn't stay very long. They went exited through the back door, probably to go fetch another demonbeast.

Customer Service stood up, letting go of the prince and looked back to where the demonbeast had disappeared. Meta-K02 hiccupped,

"Where _*hic*_ did… did… did it _*hic* _go? W… what happened?" He shivered, clutching the salesman's shirt tightly. "Why was its eyes red and…."

"You know, Prince. Our race is very different than others. We live to kill and die. We are weapons. That is our purpose."

He was silent for a while, before he spoke again with an afterthought.

"You've lost a lot of your innocence since I last saw you, but tell me this: has Lord Nightmare truly blinded you? Do you know about the **E** and what's done there? Open your eyes and wake up. Our people are practically being kidnapped off the streets once an order from one of those customers comes in or from the **E**'s warehouse."

"S… so?"

"Do you think you're so protected, being the prince and all? Wouldn't you make an extra special offer… the Prince of Demonbeasts, one in stock. Extra special rate. You'd make an exceptionally high profi-"

"No! Father would never do that…" The prince gasped, backing away from the man who was almost seeming to threaten him.

"Are you sure about that?" The salesman pressed.

Meta-K02 couldn't read the salesman's face, but Customer Service knew he had won. Perhaps his glorious revolution had failed with the cost of a few friends, but he had won the battle. What he had failed in was to find a rallying point in which the people could support the revolution. This was it: the Prince of Demonbeasts. The little boy who possessed Lord Nightmare's powers. Break away from the monarchy… the people will stand up seeing you turn against it. Sending the boy to start the revolution probably was sending the child to his death, but the loss of one boy was nothing compared to the liberation of millions of their people. It was too perfect…

The boy turned and ran, leaving Customer Service to stand there, smirking.

_Ah… maybe you really should have had me executed right then and there, Scipio. I only seem to commit one act of treason after another…_

* * *

The trip back to the palace was a silent one, but his fears settled to uncomfortable thoughts. Instead of his usual way of sneaking in, Meta-K02 came in from the front doors, much to the shock of a lot of guards. He shooed away all of them who tried to escort him and running up the steps towards the throne room, the guards there barely had time to step aside before he burst through. He looked up to see Nightmare seated in his throne bent over a chessboard, still oblivious to his entrance.

Upset, Meta-K02 took hold of the door handle and threw his entire body back, letting the door close shut again with a thunderous slam.

"I'M BACK."

Nightmare's head rolled to look at the boy, fingers stroking his broad chin. He picked up a white chess piece.

"Yes. I heard you." He answered blandly.

Chess… again. Nightmare was locked in a stalemate against himself. He was controlling both sides, using his consciousness to move the pieces. However, he could only go so far before his own mind matched itself.

Meta-K02 watched the flicker in his shades, trying to decide how he was ever going to ask about the sold demonbeast. He _was_ scared about the thought, but he was even more afraid to ask the silent emperor. He would gradually try to hint at it, maybe the question would come up on his own… but he NEEDED the answer.

He was interrupted when Nightmare spoke,

"Why don't you play a game with me, hmm? I've been sitting here for several hours now without a move."

"You always win though…" Meta-K02 grumbled, reluctantly coming closer to hug the folds of Nightmare's cape. "I don't want to play with you."

He held on to Nightmare tighter as the carpet under his feet turned to black and white squares on a flat, endless plain. The throne room walls and arching ceiling disappeared, replaced by a distorted starry sky. Nightmare waved his hands over his personal chess set and the usual pieces they together played with appeared in four straight columns facing their opposites.

Meta-K02 looked up among his ivory white pieces, beaten and chipped from each of their failures. His failures. He had never won a game against his creator, nor had anyone else in existence for that matter.

The first move was always his. Nightmare drew back and waited with his profound, unnatural patience. He was now in his godly form, towering high above him. Meta-K02 swallowed, trying to remember what the emperor did on the first move; but it was always different. Convinced that the game was faulty from the start anyway, he moved the pawn in front of his queen. Even so, it seemed like the first move always set him up for failure. Nightmare took out a knight.

In a couple more moves, the pieces spread across the squares. Nightmare could move everything with a mere thought, but he had to physically push the pieces. Most of them weren't too heavy, but some of the others were nearly twice his size. He put his entire back against a rook and pushed it up three squares.

"Tired already? We've barely started."

"Stop it."

The chess pieces were becoming heavier as he pushed them about. How glorious, he grunted, would it be to win… Father was always so certain he would win. Wouldn't it be nice to prove him wrong so he'd leave him alone sometimes? Now that Father looked calm and was occupied enough with the game, Meta-K02 decided now was the time to get answers.

"Father… I—" He began before Nightmare's fist slammed on the board, startling him.

"What did you just say? _Father_? You dare call me that? You will address me as all my other subjects do!"

Meta-K02 felt his heart break, feeling as if he had been slapped. Why did Father snap at him? He hadn't done anything wrong… Father never yelled at him for calling him that… so why now? Too scared to speak, he said nothing as Nightmare continued, ruthlessly attacking him.

"… and that reminds me another thing… from now on, you are strictly _PROHIBITED_ to leave the palace or to be in the main floors. Everything out there distracts you!"

"But—"

"Sit up straight! Straighten your crown. SHUT UP when you're supposed to. I have lost all my patience to wait for you to start behaving properly."

Nightmare took one of Meta-K02's bishops on the next move and with a short, tired, sigh; he lightly balanced it between his sharp nails as if the outburst was too exhausting for him to persist. Had he asked him to play with him _just_ to yell at him? Meta-K02 stood up, shaking. He couldn't take this any longer.

"Father! I demand to know why you're selling demonbeasts."

Silence. Nightmare looked up.

"Why do you speak of such things?" He said in a low voice.

"I saw if for myself, and now I want to know!"

Nightmare leaned in very close towards him, shades flashing.

"Who permitted you to go to the new base? See, now you have misguided thoughts. If you would have stayed here and actually learned something from all your tutors and books, you might know everything you're asking me about." He withdrew and rested back into his throne, still playing with his captured bishop. "This is how I fight my wars, child. Everything you see before you is the basic set up of every battle I play, because once the war is pushed into the shape of chess, I cannot be defeated… only, I take it one step further…

"The demonbeast you saw was one of my soldiers. The customer buys the demonbeasts and they are sent off to the planet. When the time's right, I can easily conquer a planet in a matter of hours, too little time for any commanding base of the rebels to react. That is how your race has survived over the millennia, do you understand? Stupid boy… you ask these questions and embarrass me with your silliness."

Oh. Meta-K02 let his eyes drop to the board, cheeks growing hot. He should have known… he made up his mind to never ask about the military force in the future. He dearly didn't want to make Father mad at him again… then the red of the eyes of the demonbeasts flashed in his memory once again. Wait, that demonbeast never was sent off voluntary!

_Wake up._

Maybe just this once, Meta-K02 truly did. He didn't believe Father… why… why was he lying to him? What was it that Customer Service had been trying to show him? This? Something about that salesman seemed awfully sinister…

The prince had already lost most of his pieces, although his greatest pride was that he finally captured Nightmare's queen piece… or was that just a bone thrown to him? Nightmare suddenly had him cornered. Checkmate. Meta-K02 knew he had lost. Staring dumbly at his pieces, he heard Nightmare sigh, muttering dryly,

"A pity: you learn so slowly… a pity for all mortal creatures. Ah, now then. Go back up to the library and you shall stay there until I feel you've… improved."

Meta-K02 felt the air around him freeze as he stood there. What was wrong with the world he knew? Were people really abducted to be sold to some of those appalling kings and queens? The way they talked! Why didn't he know about any of it? Was it some dark secret that everyone had just failed to mention to him? But…

Everything in this world was Father's creation. He created the people and the world they all lived in. Father had done this… how wrong he was to do such a thing!

"One day, Father…" Meta-K02 slowly hissed, suddenly directing his anger against his own, beloved Father. "I will be stronger than you and I will KILL you! _I_ will rule the universe!"

"HAH! Insolent child! You think you can destroy me, when I am immortal? You think any of those Star Warriors have a chance against my power? Who gave you such wretched thoughts? You've become too bold for your own good…"

The prince watched as his body was engulfed under a shadow and turning, he moved to run when the emperor's claws snatched him. There was never a time Meta-K02 felt as scared as he did now in Nightmare's crushing grip. Barely able to breathe, he struggled for his feet to find the room to kick, finally breaking loose. He landed on his back and he gasped for breath as he did a backwards somersault. Wobbling backwards, his hand took hold of a pawn's sword and he drew it.

Nightmare was already reaching for him again and Meta-K02 clutched the sword tightly. Then, everything stopped. He opened his eyes, staring up at the sword's tip that was stabbed deep into Nightmare's finger. The prince dropped the sword, covering his mouth as he took several steps back. _No… no…_

The emperor hadn't moved. The sword clattered noisily to the chessboard, stained with black drops. Nightmare straightened, teeth curved into a snarl. Without warning, his single, tightened fist came down, shattering the board into hundreds of pieces as if it were nothing but a thin surface of glass. Meta-K02 along with all the various chess pieces was tossed away. He screamed as he free fell with nothing but air below. Nightmare was flying after him, cape body transforming into the black wings of a hawk and he wrapped around the prince.

Then, everything came crashing down on to the throne room floor as they broke out of Nightmare's alternate dimension. The guards posted outside charged in with alarm, dodging the falling chess pieces and chess board bits. Somehow, Meta-K02 managed to unlock Nightmare's grasp from around him and he landed on the rubble, shielding himself from the dust that showered his head. He coughed, watching from the corner of his eyes as Nightmare slowly rose.

The emperor's shades were a ghostly white as he pointed accusingly at him.

"Guards! Seize the miserable brat and take him to the dungeons! I don't want to see him again!" He shrieked at the reinforcements just arriving.

"The… the Prince, my Lord?" Someone asked.

Nightmare killed him on the spot with a single glance and the officer keeled over, clutching his throat. The rest stood rigidly, daring to even look at the unfortunate. They surrounded Meta-K02, whose face was buried in Nightmare's cape, lost among the starry folds.

"Father… I… I'm sorry! FATHER!"

The guards wrenched his hands away, almost apologetically and the prince screamed for Nightmare as they dragged him away. Scipio came in, huffing from the weight of pulling his metal tail along as he ran, and he gaped at the scene.

"My Lord! Wat iz—"

"GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!" Nightmare roared and all standing before him fled. "Take him away! Throw him in the dungeons and leave him there!"

For a moment, his shaded eyes watched the door slam shut and Nightmare stood alone in the wrecked throne room. He bent down to pick up the sword that Meta-K02 had wielded against him and he silently turned it over and over again.

* * *

"No… NO! Let me go…" Meta-K02 wailed.

A cell was opened and he was pushed in. With the barred door shutting behind him, Meta-K02 gasped, shaking the bars as he watched the officers leave, saying a few mumbles of an apology before the dungeon drifted back to its former stillness.

The prince despaired, sinking to the cell floor.

_Father…_

Then, Meta-K02's senses became aware that he was not alone in the cell. His eyes were wide-open in silent horror, hands clutching the bars tightly. There were two figures, but only one of them was radiating with some force so unfamiliar to him… something _alarmingly_ unfamiliar.

He whipped his head around, holding his breath as he saw them. It was a strange, orange furred creature… and a Star Warrior.

A Star Warrior…

_A… Star Warrior…_

His blood ran cold with horror, before it began to pulse with such terrible force and sent violent shivers down his back. He couldn't bring himself to look at the killer's eyes. No… be brave… be brave…

_Oh god…_ He looked.

The Star Warrior was a gaunt and incredibly ancient figure, even by demonbeast standards, with a long, wispy beard that stroked the ground ever so faintly. Meta-K02 could hear the creaking of the man's bones and see the dull look in his eyes… but there was some un-extinguished flame that flickered in them. Had the prisoner not moved, the little prince would have easily thought of his as a haunting corpse. But he blinked. The Star Warrior was a puffball, like him, yet far from a demonbeast. Meta-K02 couldn't help but gape…

The Star Warrior's eyes flashed with a deadly stare, enough to make Meta-K02 flinch back into the cell bars. And suddenly, the old man didn't look as old as he had. The little prince felt his body freeze as he saw the fire of the old Star Warrior's power burn.

"What are you staring at, demon? …Blood-sucking vermin… spawn of the devil…" The prisoner stood up, bones groaning. "I swore my life to rid the universe of its parasites… I'll remove it… destroy… KILL IT."

He knocked Meta-K02 to the floor and thrust his hand against the demonbeast prince's throat in an unbelievably strong stranglehold. He couldn't breathe! The Star Warrior was going to KILL him!

Then, the orange creature was suddenly there, pulling the Star Warrior's arm and shaking his head vigorously. The elder's eyes looked down at the trembling youth. The creature never spoke a word, waving his hands wildly with a look of horror on his face. Meta-K02 gasped out for sweet breath as the Star Warrior finally let go of him, slowly retreating back.

"… we're all prisoners here… huh," Then, softly, he murmured, "Imagine that…"

His frightening power faded and Meta-K02 sank to the floor, holding his wings as he watched the Star Warrior settle back down on to the mess of dirty, stained rags. The waddledee too found his own bed, staring back at Meta-K02.

"Come, demon boy… it's cold down here. While we both sit in this cell, let there be no hate or anger between us. Forgive me, boy."

His shaking hands held out a rag as a kind offer… but Meta-K02 felt himself sink further away. He was slightly more frightened than he was before, full of doubt. He hiccupped—what a terrible time for that—and he knew there was nothing left to miss. What difference would it make, now that he had already brought his own life down in ruins? Whatever the Star Warrior would do to him would be far less painful than what Nightmare would do to him.

Both he and the Star Warrior began to tense as he approached, blood hissing at the other as polar opposites on a magnet and for a moment neither of them could move. The orange creature in the corner was watching intently, half in wonder and half in fear. Almost painfully, Meta-K02 dropped down on the floor beside the Star Warrior and he hugged himself as the elder draped the dark rag over his shoulders and wings.

All was silent in the cell for a long time and outside the bars, they could hear the stirrings of the other prisoners, moaning and scraping against the walls. Both the other two prisoners in his cell were surprised when he spoke.

"Why do we look like each other?" He whispered.

The Star Warrior's beard twitched, but he gave a long, tired sigh and answered.

"You've been made to look like a Popstarian. I've seen… many demonbeasts in the shapes and forms of the different races."

"You mean… there's a whole race that looks just like… me?"

"Hmph, yes. From Popstar, a wee' little planet tucked in the corner of the galaxies." He said before gazing wistfully off into space. "Beautiful place… never seen skies as bright and land so green on another planet…"

Meta-K02 didn't listen to anymore of the old man's ramblings. He looked down at his own body. He had thought… his model type was special…

"Boy, may I ask you why they locked _you_ up here?"

Startled, Meta-K02 blinked.

"I… I…"

"It's alright, boy," He wheezed softly. "I'll introduce us to you… how about that, hmm? Over there, that's… well, I never could quite figure out the little sonny's name. He's a waddledee, yet another resident of Popstar. I call him Dee and I think he don't mind it much. Ah, but me… my name… no… my name's not important anymore. I was alone here in this cell for two hundred years until Dee was put into my cell and I didn't do a talking much…"

The old Star Warrior was silent for a long time, and Meta-K02 thought he must have fallen asleep before he continued.

"… I got captured along with a few other Star Warriors. All of them have passed on and I'm the only one left of the group."

Meta-K02 breathed, his heart beating in hushed silence. He… he didn't really care to hear the pains of others… but he still felt sorry. His head bowed. Maybe he would tell the Star Warrior about himself after all.

Barely able to bring his voice above a murmur, he told them how Nightmare had kept him locked away in the palace and away from the contact of kids he would have very much liked to have played with. He told them he what he had done to his own beloved Father and his dread for the guards who certainly would be coming for him sometime soon.

"So Nightmare truly has an heir… it wasn't just the rumors…" Ulysses wheezed, mustache twitching. "I don't know what to think anymore… you know, kid? I don't think I've ever… 'met' a demonbeast before… you might not be that bad of a kid, come to think of it. So why then, are adult demonbeasts evil?"

"Why are Star Warriors evil?" Meta-K02 countered, feeling hate spring up again. Why do they hunt us and slaughter us?"

The Star Warrior suddenly laughed a little, shocking Meta-K02.

"Who's the enemy? Is it you or I?"

His words confounded him, but before Meta-K02 could reply, the elder was rambling again.

"There's a fine, young lad by the name of Arthur forming a mighty army of Star Warriors and soldiers from planets across the galaxies. The Galaxy Soldier Army… what I would give to join them and meet him. I heard he's just a simple Popstarian vegetable farmer. I make it a point not to trust rumors… but, they say he's already fought brilliantly. He's already becoming a rebel hero."

Then his face fell.

"But if neither side is the enemy… countless thousands will be killed needlessly! What a disaster this will be… there will be war until one side is completely wiped out… oh don't you see, boy? That general must be stopped! He's going to start this war!"

The old man was practically shouting now, eyes wild with pain and alarm.

"No… NO! I can't let this happen! The balance will be forever disrupted! Oh, why do I have to be so _OLD_? My duties have not been fulfilled!" His voice lowered. "What _are_ my duties? Is it not to fight demonbeasts?"

Then, the Star Warrior abruptly turned away and threw the rags over himself, not willing to speak anymore. The waddledee and Star Warrior were asleep before long and Meta-K02 huddled closer to the wall. He too was tired, but as if he'd ever make it back to see his birth cylinder again… and even so, he might be too afraid. Had modifications really been made to his hard drive every time he went to sleep? Unable to push his thoughts aside, he began to imagine the long daggers and needles that hung from the torture room ceilings.

Meta-K02 pressed his forehead to the bars. Why had his wish for something so simple cost him everything he had? He wasn't so sure anymore that he had ever been truly happy. Then, he did something he had never done since the day he had received it.

He took off his crown.

All that he could see in the reflection of its rich, lustful silver were two sad, unloving, lonely eyes. The people who saw him didn't see a stately prince, but rather an arrogant, stupid son of a—

He wiped his eyes and put his head against the wall. Someone had clawed at the walls, scratching out the word 'HELL' in large, scraggly letters. Fitting. As if he needed a reminder of where he was.

Customer Service. That man! That horrid man! He wanted this to happen and he KNEW it would! He knew Father would be angry! But why? WHY? He tricked him!

He didn't want anyone to hear or see him cry and through the night, he buried his face in his hands.

_Why…_

* * *

Shouts sounded from the cellblock. The Star Warrior and waddledee were soon aroused and the two joined Meta-K02, clinging to the bars as they strained to see what was going on down at the other end. They heard the growling of a wild beast and the screams… was that the warden? Silence. Prisoners still healthy enough had their eyes on the hall.

Then, Meta-K02 heard the small jangling of metal, mighty bells of heaven! They were keys! He froze. They were coming for him… those were the bells of death tolling for him! He was about to pull away when the Star Warrior pointed.

"Look! Up ahead!"

A wolf of fiery red fur and mane came walking down past the cells, just out of reach from the prying hands groping for the ring of keys hanging from her mouth. The she-wolf never looked at any of them…

Meta-K02 was dumbfounded as the wolf stopped in front of their cell and dropped the keys into his shaking hands.

"_Prince…"_

Was that the wolf? Her mouth hadn't opened once except to pant as a dog might. But her vibrant, gold eyes were keen on him and they suddenly flashed intensely.

"_Prince,"_ The voice repeated, entering his mind. _"I have come to repay a debt… it was you who pulled my mother free from the leech that sucked her life dry… it was you who showed me the fate of my lost brothers and sisters… for that, I swear upon my blood to forever serve you until the day I fall. I have come to rescue you!"_

"Wh… who are you?"

"_My name is Wolfwrath. I have waited ten years to finally meet you. Hurry, now. I intend to take you away from here and to the safety of the city." _

Meta-K02 fumbled with the keys, unable to keep steady and finally with the waddledee's help, the lock registered the input code embedded inside the key and opened. All the prisoners were rattling the bars of their cells, pleading to be the next and amid the wondrous thunder; the Star Warrior walked out and breathed. Meta-K02 couldn't comprehend the lost look in the old man's eyes… something he couldn't bring himself to forget. The Star Warrior spoke, staring up at the dungeon's ceiling lights, but as if he was staring further than that… staring up into the universe.

"N… Nightmare… may have stolen my youth… and robbed me of my former strength… but he will never, ever take my will!"

The Star Warrior hobbled over, arm shaking as he reached for the fallen sword of a dead guard Wolfwrath had killed getting the keys. Clutching it tightly, the Star Warrior raised the blade as if he could have well been a messenger from heaven.

"HEAR ME NIGHTMARE," He roared. "Hear me break free of your prison and hear me fight your power!"

His lips kept trembling, mouth moving as if he suddenly forgot what he was going to say, but both Meta-K02 and Wolfwrath had to cringe for at that moment, power seeped into the old Star Warrior's strides as he came towards the other cells, slowly raising the sword. Someone shouted,

"Get down! The Star Warrior's slicing through!"

Meta-K02 felt panic rush through his head but he, along with all the other prisoners collapsed to the ground as the Star Warrior swung down and tore though the air. Energy crackled around his now shining sword and the brightest arc of light Meta-K02 had ever seen, swept through the cell bars, grinding and eating away at matter itself. The light disappeared, leaving the dungeons a mess and everyone stunned.

"What… what was that? You went right through the wall!" Meta-K02 choked out.

But the Star Warrior wasn't responding. He fell to his hands, wheezing harder. The weak bones in his arms shook, barely able to hold his weight up, light as it was. Meta-K02 watched the man mouth out something, eyes wide open and staring at the floor. He finally watched it carefully enough to read it.

_I… failed the universe… this is all I have become… _

The prince watched prisoners climb… from only some of the cells. Why weren't…

Meta-K02 peered into the other cells, shrinking back in revulsion as he saw the pallid faces of the dying. Some of them actually had died long ago and were nothing left but rancid piles of bones. Others didn't look very different, other than the fact that they were still breathing… barely.

"But what about… them?"

The Star Warrior had to put a hand on Meta-K02's shoulder to stand back up again and with a weak sigh, he said,

"We must leave them. We Star Warriors follow a strict code to help those that we can and make sacrifices when we cannot. There are still prisoners that can be saved, though. Those are the ones that I will give my life to free."

All the able-body prisoners were out now, holding each other tightly as they all looked to the Star Warrior for hope.

"Demon boy, how do we escape?" The elder asked, suddenly turning to Meta-K02.

"WHAT? You're asking _me_?"

"You're a prince! Don't you know this place well? …or does this wolf know?"

"_I followed his scent to get here… but I've never been in this palace before now…"_ Wolfwrath said with a small whine.

Meta-K02 bit his lip. True, he should have known the entire floor plan of the palace, but these parts were forbidden to him. He only knew where each section relatively was.

"There's only one entrance and exit. If we get out of here before any guards show up, we'll be two floors down on the opposite side of the palace from where the starship harbor should be. I… I don't know if Father is going to be stopping us…"

"Can we take the chance?"

Meta-K02's face grew serious. He nodded, and let his eyes turn white…

Prisoners burst into the hall, evading the first wave of guards who were running to answer the alarm. There weren't many, but still enough to draw attention to them if spotted. Meta-K02 led them away from the main halls, following a detour towards the starships. His feet flew; the heavens were beckoning him to freedom! He tore off his cape and shrugged off all the jewels. Nothing was holding him back. He would run, far, far away and he would leave NME forever.

Then, he took off his crown, gave it one last look, and threw it to the side, casting away his imperial power forever. The gates to the starship harbor were ahead!

"_Prince! Look out!"_ Wolfwrath howled.

Guns fired away and someone behind him cried out.

The Star Warrior hit the floor hard and the gun skidded away. Meta-K02, Wolfwrath, and Dee stopped, staring as the man's cape begin to turn dark red. The Star Warrior raised his head, wheezing hard for air as he said,

"Go… go… k… keep running… you, demon boy… don't ever stop running… show the universe they're fighting the wrong people… don't let there be war … we Star Warriors… we were w… w… wrong…"

Shouts hit them hard like a wave. The children looked up to see guards pour into the halls.

"Go…" The word had scarcely left the Star Warrior's lips before a second bullet struck him, a third, a fourth… he died there on the ground and Meta-K02 was too frozen to move, before Wolfwrath bit him on the wings and urged him to run.

…but something fell from the old Star Warrior's hand as he collapsed to the floor and Meta-K02 stopped, picking it up in bewilderment and staring into the small, golden star's surface. It was warm to the touch, glowing brightly and he held in his hands. The guards were coming… but he took the second to look in the Star Warrior's fading eyes before he turned and ran.

Those guards were too fast! One was nearly upon him when the gold star flew out of his hand and expanded, swooping under him and the other two as it shot down the hall and over the heads of oncoming guards pouring out from the halls ahead.

They broke free! The star flew into the starship port and came to a halt at the end of a long line of chained down ships. Already, some small groups of escaping prisoners had made their way here and were getting into the ships. Meta-K02 realized sorrowfully that the only ones that could possibly have taken this God-given chance to escape were the newly imprisoned. All the rest would never make it. They were too old and weak… like the Star Warrior. What a sad end for a knight whose one purpose for existence never was fulfilled.

"_Perhaps we can use these to fly down to somewhere safer in the city…"_ Wolfwrath commented, looking at all the different captured ships. _"This is going to be much simpler than I thought…"_

Meta-K02 walked up to a star-shaped one with gray sides and clear, glass dome over its cockpit. But wait! This was a Star Warrior ship! There were a few of them, some with horrifying dents and parts that had rusted over the years. He touched the ship… he was going to go in this one.

He climbed in, helping Wolfwrath clamber in with him when he realized that Dee wasn't there. He looked around, spotting the waddledee among others of his kind who were being helped into starships by a few different race prisoners. Dee turned to look back at him, black eyes blinking thoughtfully, before he was lifted into a starship and disappeared from sight. Meta-K02 closed his mouth. At least Dee was getting out of here…

"_Prince! Look out!"_

Guards flooded the landing harbor, drawing their guns to shoot. Bullets hit his ship when suddenly, there was an immediate cease-fire.

"Wait! It's the Prince! Don't shoot!"

"How do we stop him?"

"Don't just stand there! Close the gates! Someone alert Lord Nightmare!"

Meta-K02 looked to where the other prisoners were. All of them had gotten into ships and were driving them out of the harbor and out on to the runway. He focused his attention on the ship's controls and stared at them. Uh oh… there were too many buttons and levers to choose from! He didn't even know how to start up a starship, let alone fly one!

Meta-K02 slammed his hands against everything at once. Oh… there HAD to be some way to start this thing up! His eyes fell across a panel with a star-shaped outline. He grabbed the golden star and placed it on the panel and… magic. The old ship, possibly left in the harbor for hundreds of years waiting to be melted down, actually had enough life in it to activate. The entire control panel lit up and he took hold of the control stick. The ship moved forward, gradually picking up speed. He glanced over the dashboard. Why was the control stick so hard to reach?

"_Prince, try using your feet to control it instead. I don't think it was intended to—"_

"Shut up! Will you?" He cried out, but nevertheless followed her advice. _Stupid control! Who ever heard of a control you had to use your foot to move around?_

The guards were shouting for him to stop, but they were too far away to do anything about it. He drove out on to the runway where the last of the other ships was just taking off, joining the others in their escape. The multi-color neon lights of the city fell upon the glass of the starship and with sudden horror, Meta-K02 realized he had to leave. There was no way he could stay here at NME. No, he had to run away!

Trying to remember the controls from video games, he pressed at the different buttons when the ship came to a complete stop. NO! The guards were driving the starship repair machines out this way and if they caught up to him, they would easily secure his starship down. He kicked the control stick as hard as he could and the starship burst forward. The gold star was glowing brightly, making the ship speed up. He was nearly at the end of the runway…

At the last moment, he pushed the control stick back and the ship nosedived downwards, hurling itself closer and closer to the palace battlements. He kicked it the other direction and it tilted left, flying around one of the towers. He couldn't believe it. Video games had saved him. He shifted the gears as he had seen the characters on screen do and the ship ascended up into the atmosphere.

Wolfwrath was truly horrified, but she wordlessly pressed her nose to the glass, giving a small whine as they flew higher above the endless sea of lights and finally out into the darkness of space.

Nightmare stopped at the edge of the landing platform, the ends of his cape unfurling around him like the rising of smoke as he panted, almost needing to lean against a wall. He was too late…

"My Lord, shall we send a ship after him?" One of the guards exclaimed.

The armored demonbeast was about to shout out orders when, to his surprise, Nightmare said nothing. The guard lowered his hand, looking at the emperor who only turned to gaze out into the stars.

"No… let him go. Let the stupid boy see for himself he has nowhere to go. If he chooses the Star Warriors, let him see them kill him without a second regard... he is a demonbeast… and they are Star Warriors…"

**X—X—X**

**Author Note:** And that concludes everything that had to be jammed up together. After this, I'm actually pretty free to keep it at a nice pace and END CHAPTERS WHEN THEY SHOULD BE ENDED. Yuck. You know how long these take me to write? One paragraph can sometimes take me an hour to write, depending on what's going on. Even, then, I usually rewrite it, take it apart, change up the wording, then finish it up. And it's not like I do it in a nice order, I skip around all over the place and eventually, I end up with hundreds of little parts that have to be strung together. That's about when I start getting impatient.

One important note: the 'new' base that Meta Knight explores is the same base seen in the anime. That's why he knows exactly where the delivery machine was. The old base is Nightmare's original base and it's very small (that's why he was complaining about how low the ceilings were. He hadn't imagined at that time that he could grow to be so powerful)

**New updates to my profile page**

What do you know? I've begun a blog to basically drabble on about whatever I find interesting to mention from the Kirby anime, if not the Kirby fandom. (Located towards the bottom of my profile page) For any topic I choose to blog about, feel free to comment in a PM. (These blogs will be posted on my second deviantArt account too. That's where older entries will be stored) I'll update it whenever I update a story unless if the update comes quicker than expected. The current blog is the Meta-Knightmare theory. Check it out. Tell me what you think. Also, feel free to suggest future topics. )

Also, vote in my new poll! It's nothing serious; it's just for fun. c:

Please review!


	6. Chapter VI: 50 Below

**Author Note:** Hey! Queen of hiatus is back! Let this day be remembered! Nah, I really need the update anyways if I even hope to get this finished. And hey, I haven't been on for a while and I just noticed the new site layout. It'd be ever cooler… if I'd make an actual summary for this story. Every time you try to read a chapter, Dark Meta Knight will be staring at you. 0 w 0

Also, I've closed the polls. Results are in. Lesson learned? Don't give people two choices because everyone's going to obviously pick Sir Arthur and Nightmare as the two who would have had the best back-stories. Whatever. You guys are predictable. I wasn't planning on doing anything with the poll results… but maybe I'll try to because the next popular choices were Knuckle Joe, Dedede, and Silica. Might be interesting to try.

One quick thing to clear up because it looks like from reviews that a lot of you have been thinking the same thing: **Meta Knight's not going to the GSA quite yet**. (Next chapter though!) For one thing, he's still kind of young. I mentioned something like 10 in demonbeast years. Also, the way I wrote Angels of Prophecy requires one last part to squeeze in before the GSA. (Oh, and for those who've read my other story, I've changed quite a bit of it. Please, tell me how you like these new edits!)

Oh! And good news! This chapter's shorter than the last one. Seriously, someone should try to speed-read these things. See how long it takes. XD

**Disclaimer: **Cosmicgiraffe holds no rights over any of the characters mentioned in this chapter besides Scipio. The rest all belong to their respected owners, including Nintendo and HAL. The plot is fan based by Cosmicgiraffe, who does now hold any third party rights over the Kirby franchise.

**X—X—X**

**-Chapter VI: 50 Below-**

…

_What is… NME?_

Sitting there, cold, hungry, and still scared for his life, the prince looked at his sad reflection in the glass. What had he wanted all his life? He here was, in exile. All he had wanted was Nightmare's fatherly affections, but it was something Nightmare never would have given. His thoughts wandered back to the rare time when Nightmare would return from wherever and he'd sit on his creator's lap, quietly watching the emperor play chess by himself. Meta-K02 remembered it so well… why was it that Father would ignore him? Why couldn't he understand that guards weren't enough when he had so badly wanted attention?

But even if he wanted to go back, Meta-K02 was too scared out of his wits to turn around and be punished. Could he wait a while and come back… when Nightmare would forgive him… _possibly_? He would do anything he asked him to do, never question anything ever again…

_Was it worth it? _

Meta-K02 sank back in the old, leather seat. No, what he had seen was the pure truth and it was wrong. He didn't want to be a part of it any longer… but was this truly the way he was going to live the rest of his life: brooding on the past and on everything he wished he had but didn't? He had to move on… but it was so hard…

The prince shyly glanced back at Wolfwrath, who was still looking out the glass back towards NME. Didn't he gain something? Maybe Wolfwrath wasn't exactly a… friend… but, everything he said, she listened to and replied. Of course, Nightmare was never around to talk to him and the guards at the palace kept out of the way as much as they could.

He hoped she would never become like that. To himself, he thought,

_Please talk to me forever… don't—_

"_Hm? Did you say something, Prince?" _Wolfwrath asked, turning around in the cramped cockpit.

As she did so, her small spikes poked into his wings and Meta-K02 felt a flash of annoyance. Just because she was a little bigger than him didn't mean he was going to give up the entire seat to her! And he was already tired of her making dog whines in her anxiousness. The nerve of her. Did she seriously want to go back? And most of all, he hated the way she talked telepathically into his head and in turn, could hear his thoughts if he wasn't careful.

"I didn't say anything! Just shut up and leave me alone!"

"_Prince… I—"_

"SHUT UP! And stop listening to my thoughts!"

For a moment, she was silent but she finally said,

"_We have to go back. There are still places to hide at NME!"_

"We're not going back! You said you'd be my servant so you have to listen to me and whatever I say!"

"_Can I ask where we're going then? Did you even think to yourself that out there, there are many, many demonbeast haters? We're in an enemy starship out in the middle of nowhere!"_

"What do you mean, demonbeast haters? We're the elite race of the universe! How can they hate _us_?"

"_If only you knew, Prince… that's why there's war after war. I never knew my father, but my mother said his head was put on a stake outside of a village. Every other race out there wants all demonbeasts dead."_

"Father said we're purifying the universe."

"_Fine, go be that way. But I swore I would do anything to protect you, should you need it. You're putting us both in danger."_

"Well, we're in a Star Warrior ship. Anyone who sees us won't know we're demonbeasts."

"_Then let's hope we aren't attacked by NME ships… and you do realize that not every planet likes Star Warriors either…"_

Meta-K02 ignored her, and she settled down to try and nap. Instead, he stared off ahead into the never-ending void of distant stars and planets. How dark and motionless space was. Not a sound to be heard other than his own breathing and even as the ship flew on, they never got any closer to the small stars thousands of light-years away. The little prince regretted abandoning his cape; he didn't know how cold space could be. He picked up the gold star and held it in his hands. It radiated with such wonderful warmth and its soft light made him feel better. Just a little more hopeful…

His head drooped forward a little. His eyes were so heavy, yet he couldn't fall asleep… somewhere in the back of his mind, Meta-K02 was reminded that he hadn't slept for more than two da—

BANG!

The starship lurched and the two snapped fully awake with alarm. Meta-K02 wildly looked around in the darkness, unable to see anything. Had they just hit something? He pressed his face into the glass and saw what a gaping dent the object had left. He looked up, squinting hard. There had to be something out there… asteroids? They were flying through a field full of the space rocks. Most were just crumbs of the larger ones hiding out in the darkness.

He looked back at the dent. It looked pretty bad... would the ship still be able to run? At least it hadn't hit the engine…

"_Prince! Look out!"_ Wolfwrath barked.

Meta-K02's hands grabbed the steering wheel and he threw the ship left, just barely around one boulder and between two more. Everywhere there were asteroids that could easily smash them. Below was a massive, bright orange planet that looked like a good landing place and Meta-K02, distracted for the briefest of moments, couldn't move the ship in time. Metal against rock pierced their ears and suddenly, all controls went dead. The little prince pounded against the steering rod and buttons before he joined Wolfwrath in stunned silence, then complete panic.

The ship's alarms blared and suddenly, the dome's shields started closing up! What was going on? They were going to crash somewhere and now they wouldn't be able to see a thing! The starship was already falling, heading straight towards the orange planet and its multiple moons, but the last glimpse Meta-K02 caught was a tiny white moon of the orange planet. Then it was total darkness as the ship continued to spiral out of control.

* * *

On the other side of the glass, Customer Service watched an Imperial officer deliver instructions to all the salesmen and women in the business sector below. He could faintly hear the man speak, but he was fairly certain he knew what it was about. His co-workers were scattered about among the computers and the rest were at the balconies above, listening in. No one moved. No one talked… but their mouths were open in silent shock. Dread. Every one of them knew what this new order for the sales department of NME would mean, but it was the extremity of it that appalled Customer Service when he had first received the bulletin.

Objective one: all sales are to be strategically targeted towards border planets, drop all other customers. Objective two: all planets under debt are to be turned into bases; the inhabitants as an extra bonus to feed the troops. And finally, objective three: send spies into all border planets and find out more about the Star Warrior army using the established delivery systems. Customer Service swallowed. In all previous wars, his and all the salesmen and women's primary job was to fund the cost of weapons and ships.

Never before had the sales department been used as an actual weapon.

"Lookz like it willz be a long war…"

Customer Service turned his attention back to Scipio who was sitting in his office chair, toying with all of his office supplies. A low growl emitted from Scipio's throat… a tired one, and he only shook his head.

"So… were youz really ze one to git ze brat to leave?"

"I didn't intend for Prince Meta-K02 to do what he did." Customer Service said, leaning in. "I heard he stabbed Lord Nightmare with a sword and ran for his life once he got out of the dungeons… who freed him anyway?"

"Ze guardz are still trying to figure zat out. Apparently some wolf child zat had access to ze palace. We don't know much else though." Scipio said with a sigh. "How did youz do it anywayz? Youz kidnapped 'im again? … no… I don't care anymore. Ze brat iz gone and now I can secure ze palace once again. Hopefully nature will take care of 'im. Hiz existence endangerz Lord Nightmare…"

"… what? You want him dead? I'm… I'm surprised. You don't care at all? After all the fighting you and I had to go through over him?"

"I never thought Project Meta-K02 would turn out good at ze start. All anyone opposing Lord Nightmare would need to do iz take ze stupid boy hostage. Also, hiz blood containz too much valuable information about Lord Nightmare. He iz dangerous alive. If you ask me, Meta-K02 waz a serious mistake. When I saw him for ze first time, I thought he would become something great… but he amounted to nothing."

Both of them looked out the glass as all the salesmen and women returned to their desks and the Imperial Guard leave. It was strange… the removal of one kid and both of them could stand to tolerate the other. At least Customer Service didn't have a headache anymore.

"It's wrong to use sales like this. Sure, I see the… strategy of it, but…"

"But wat?"

"… this is going to hurt more than just the ones were fighting."

Scipio's tail flicked up again and he closed his eyes.

"Do youz realize… zat if we loze to zis Star Warrior army, zat our people willz all be massacred? Every last man, women, and child willz be shot and tossed into mass graves? We cannot afford to loze…"

"So the killing only repeats… if we win, it will only worsen the hate against demonbeasts."

"Our people are massively afraid of ze Star Warriorz… we haz no ideaz how many Star Warriorz are in zis GSA. Our spiez over ze yearz have kept an estimate of how many Star Warriorz are out zhere… zis GSA could haz over hundredz of zem… onez enough to destroy an entire base. Think about zat for a moment."

"… but… they're not… all Star Warriors, right?"

"No… most are just regular soldierz from ze planetz. Zhey are not ze problem. We can easily destroy zem, but ze Star Warriorz are a different problem. Yet, if we win… I fear zat ze empire will consume all. Even I have to question if zat iz going to help or hurt us."

"One side will be in ruins at the end of this, won't it?"

Scipio didn't answer. The lizard general closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair.

"War iz a very beautiful, yet terrible thing. Don't youz forgetz zat."

"Why beautiful? I see nothing beautiful about killing."

Scipio's tongue flicked out thoughtfully.

"Becauze war iz wat makez NME filthy rich. Funny, isn't it?"

* * *

The glass dome opened and Meta-K02 was ejected out flat on his face in a mound of icy white. Unable to hold his stomach any longer, he threw up until there was nothing left to hold on to. He gasped in the cold air, watching his breaths disappear into small clouds as his heart beats settled. The demonbeast prince wiped his mouth clean and looked up into the swirling gray around him. Wind howled around him and as far as he could see into the snowstorm, the planet was a barren wasteland frozen under thick ice. He held a handful of the whiteness when a sudden blast of wind blew thousands of ice shards on him. He gasped from the sheer coldness he felt in face and wings, turning away to watch the wind disappear as a sweeping veil into the storm.

Was this snow? Was it actually real? Everything from the palace library books had felt so unreal to him… and all that it had taken to see it all for himself was to leave the only home he knew.

This planet was unbelievably cold and already his cheeks and hands were numb. Did they land on the little white moon? He looked up into the sky, but all he could see was the blizzard.

Wolfwrath clambered out behind him and took a step down into the snow when she gave a yelp, drawing back.

"What's wrong?" He asked, shielding himself with his wings from the next gust of wind.

"_It… it burns…"_

"Are you kidding? It's all frozen!" Meta-K02 said, kicking the snow.

Wolfwrath didn't answer, but her eyes became intensely gold for a moment. Meta-K02 peered behind the ship at all the distance it had come tearing across the terrain, gaping at the path of destruction that was swiftly getting buried by the snow. Did he really just survive that?

"_Prince? What are we going to do now?"_

"Huh? We're going to try and fix it, stupid mutt. What else are we going to do?"

The wolf tested the snow once more, but she couldn't keep her paw on it for more than a couple of seconds. Her eyes became gold again and she examined Meta-K02 very carefully.

"_Prince… we… we can't stay here… you'll die here if we can't find somewhere to stay. You're body heat is dropping…"_

"You can see that?"

Her eyes glowed again. Behind the pupils, all her vision saw was the dying sources of heat around the ship and in Meta-K02 surrounded by total ice. There was no other heat source to be seen.

"_The temperature is dropping so fast… Prince, let's leave the ship alone and look for some kind of shelter."_

"Are you an idiot? Look out there! There's nothing! For the last time, I'm fixing this so we can get leave"

She walked up to the side of the ship and watched him try to turn it upright.

"_Prince, neither of us know how fix it. Don't waste our precious little time…"_

Meta-K02's patience to listen to her was running short.

"Alright, you go ahead and walk off like some kind of idiot while I get off this wasteland."

"_No, Prince. You're the idiot right now. You're too stubborn and unreasonable for your own good!"_

"How dare you say that!"

"_How dare I say that? I think it's about time you learned a little lesson that you, Prince, are worth very little without Lord Nightmare."_

"You… you swore you'd serve me! You can't say that to me!"

Wolfwrath's eyes turned gold as she looked into the blizzard. Meta-K02 could only shiver once more as another icy blast blew around them.

"_When I swore to serve the one who tried to save my mother, I thought I was promising my life's service to someone who had a kinder heart."_

Meta-K02 wanted to yell something back at her, not willing to let a servant walk on him like that, but he let it drop. It was way too freezing cold to keep this up. However, Wolfwrath was the one to speak again.

"_Prince, you will freeze." _She said, this time gently._ "The ship won't be warm forever."_

"Alright, " he swallowed. "Let's go."

He went back to the ship and unable to find anything else, tore the thick leather from the seat and wrapped it around himself. Also, he went to the engine and pulled loose a rod that was still hot to the touch and held it close to his body. He started away… when he remembered the star! Where was it?

It wasn't in the ship… and that meant it had to have…

The demonbeast prince threw himself to the ground and dug with his hands, the loss of the little star too great for him to bear. He had to find it! Wasn't it the star that had truly freed him from Nightmare? More snow was piling around them… soon it would be lost forever... where was it? WHERE WAS IT?

Then he saw it. Under the snow, he found its faint golden glow and he swiftly grabbed it and dropped it inside his glove for safekeeping before he joined Wolfwrath and together, they left the starship behind.

But unlike in their grand escape from NME, the gold star never came out to whisk them away to safety.

Wolfwrath was definitely right though. The temperature was dropping and the winds increasingly grew more violent. The snow was deep and he found himself trudging through waist-deep. Meta-K02 looked back where they had come from, full of uncertainty, but the ship was nowhere in sight in the blizzard. Snow blinded them as it blew on mercilessly. The rod Meta-K02 had taken from the ship already had lost its warmth and he threw it away.

"_Prince, this way!"_ Wolfwrath called. _"I… I think I see a small heat source…"_

There was desperation in her voice. Meta-K02 knew it… there was nothing out here. He looked into her eyes, having to admire the strength in her to try and continue to fill both of them with hope. But… could they last out here? His face and wings burned. Each step he took, he had to drag his feet. He was going to die… and all of this was her fault.

He was so sure of it now that he could have found a way to fix the starship… they would have been able to fly off and leave this wasteland. There was NOTHING here. … wait, where was she? She was starting to lag behind him and he turned, ready to accuse her when he gave a soft gasp. Marking Wolfwrath's slackening trail were dark red paw prints. The snow was water… it was eating the skin on her paws with every step.

"_Prince…" _She finally whispered when she caught up to him._ "I'm… sorry… I'm sorry I failed you…"_

He never answered, unable to do so. It was her words that ended it all. The snow was going to be their grave.

More time was passing… temperatures dropping… his cheeks were so cold now… he couldn't even feel the star in his glove anymore…

Meta-K02 took a few steps more… and collapsed as if the wind had pushed him over. He fell on his back looking up at the blizzard sky, never getting back up. Wolfwrath was at his side in seconds, nudging him in panic.

"_Prince! PRINCE! You have to keep walking! Your body heat! It's dropping!"_

Her voice sounded kind of far away, even though she was right in his face. He felt so sleepy… it felt so nice to just lie there. Was this the way his life was meant to be? Unwanted and meaningless? He wondered if Nightmare would replace him with newer projects… maybe a Meta-K03 or something… would that Meta-K03 chosen the same path as he did if… he too could have?

He had come all this way to seek freedom and happiness… yet look where it had led him: to sadness, knowing that he had nothing.

Then, Wolfwrath started howling at something in the distance. Give it up… there was nothing out here. His wings were covered with ice crystals. Give it up. Here he was, Prince Meta-K02. Prince of nothing. Prince of waste. Prince of dead futures…

Something pushed at his glove and he watched the gold star appear in his palm before flying off into snow, leaving him. Seconds later, it lit up the entire sky in its light and Meta-K02 could make out the shape of someone on a snowmobile, who Wolfwrath must have been howling at. The figure's head turned, but whoever it was drove right on past.

He didn't care anymore. His head was starting to feel clouded like he was going to fall asleep at any second.

Then, something picked him up out of the snow and held him under their coat close to their warm body. The snowmobile was back and the figure lifted Wolfwrath up with her other arm.

Last thing Meta-K02 could remember was that in his open hand, the gold star returned and nestled in his grasp, still pulsing as warmly as it ever did.

* * *

Meta was vaguely aware he had woken some time earlier, then drifted back into a state he could describe. Unknown to him, he was dreaming, something that he had never done before when being shut off in his birth cylinder. He saw glimpses of places and people that he couldn't remember… Wolfwrath… white… a burning feeling… why couldn't he think clearly? He was running but his steps were so heavy and he couldn't turn. He just ran and ran…

He woke up wrapped up in a blanket on the floor in a room he didn't recognize. Right in front of him was a stove with a crackling fire lit inside and everything else was like a cramped warehouse. Boxes and boxes were stacked up to the ceiling and he felt a small sense of paranoia, sitting there on the floor, feeling like he was suffocating. Other than the box walls was a couch half-taken over by more boxes. Was this someone's storage room or was he trapped in some kind of a dungeon?

_I'm alone again… where's Wolfwrath?_

He was up on his feet now and he squeezed through a gap in the boxes to find a kitchen where Wolfwrath was eating something from a bowl. She looked up as soon as he heard him and came to him, licking him in relief. The other figure there was a woman of some other race different than anything he had ever seen before. She didn't even turn to see him. As she drank deeply from a mug, her eyes slowly moved towards him.

"Oh…" She said, taking a long time before she finished. "… you probably want food…"

The woman got up and dragged herself to a cupboard and pulled out a can. While she just as slowly carved it open with a knife, Wolfwrath leaned close to Meta-K02.

"_She didn't say very much, but while you were still sleeping, she told me a couple of things that… aren't very good."_

"What is it?" He whispered back.

"_Well, first, her name is Kamira. We're on a moon called Icronth, it's some sort of refugee town from the war… and… I described how badly are ship was destroyed. She's a mechanic, but… she says she take a look at it tomorrow after the storm's cleared. It sounds bad, Prince… what if… what if that ship can't be fixed?"_

They watched the woman pour the can's contents into a pot over the burner. Everything she did was so lifeless. Kind of dead, in a way. She just stood there, unmoving, as

"Why did you tell her? We don't even know who she is, really. If she finds the ship and takes it away, we'll be trapped. How could you be so dumb?"

"_Prince… we have no one… she's already been kind enough to give us food and take care of you. I thought… I just thought that you'd never wake up. We have to ask for help from someone."_

The woman came back to the table and put down a bowl of thick soup, pushing it in front of him. He got up on a chair and looked down at it, slightly unsure but too starving to refuse it. As he ate, it made him nervous to see the woman watching him.

"You look a lot like… him…" She murmured.

He put another spoonful in his mouth. What was she talking about? Her eyes looked like they had lost their glint long ago. Her gaze was empty and emotionless. He finished the rest of the bowl and wiped his mouth not taking his eyes off her.

"Just… tell me when you're hungry again… Ben…" Kamira said, taking the bowl, dumping it into an already full kitchen sink, and disappeared among the boxes.

A couple of seconds later, Meta-K02 and Wolfwrath heard a door close softly, followed by silence. Wolfwrath sniffed.

"_Maybe… we should try and sleep too. You're probably still exhausted even though you just woke up…"_ She said before he turned to look at him. _ "Prince… we have to trust someone… and I think she can help us. Please, let's stay here for the night, at least. We can always leave tomorrow… this time better prepared. Look at my paws… she bandaged them and we might be able to take a blanket to keep you alive."_

"…"

Meta-K02 didn't say anything but he finally agreed. What was he going to do here? He couldn't even think about going back outside again in the freezing cold. Right now though, another question was nagging at him but did he really want to ask Wolfwrath? It felt like it was letting her know that he was dumber than her.

"… Wolfwrath?"

"_Yes?"_

"… when I was sleeping… I can't even describe it. I couldn't remember what I was seeing and I was running and…"

"_Uh… a dream?"_

"… what's a dream?"

"How could you not know what a dream is? That's what Lord Nightmare creates. Dreams are… memories and wishes… sometimes just odd things from your thoughts."

Wolfwrath waited there but Meta-K02 was thinking quietly to himself. She gave him a small lick before she climbed into the stove and nestled among the burning coals, finally turning a healthy red in fur color. The prince returned to the blankets on the floor and lay down, but he didn't go to sleep that night.

* * *

"Hey, kid. I have your starship at the lot."

Meta-K02 followed Kamira outside and got on the back of her snowmobile. She started up the engine and drove them off. Kamira had sewed a dark blue cape for him that was thick and very warm. He wore it now, wrapped tightly around him as the wind tried to force it open. As they drove around the outskirts of the town, Wolfwrath was running alongside them. Having her paws wrapped up was enough to keep the snow from burning her and she felt the need to run.

He and Wolfwrath got their first look at the refugee town, which was silent in the early morning. Kamira had lightly warned them to stay away from it, whatever they did.

They arrived at the garage and the starship lot in the back. Kamira unlocked the gate and they entered the yard. Silence hung over the iced-over wreckage and row after row they passed each crashed starship. A lot of the ship's here had caved-in roofs or, like his ship, had severely damaged engines. One or two of them were incinerated remains: an absolutely no chance for survival. Wolfwrath sniffed at the bloodstains of a slab of metal that had fallen off of a nearby starship. Meta-K02 looked up at the shattered windshield. It gave him a bad picture of what could have happened to Wolfwrath and him.

They finally spotted their ship in the back and he and Wolfwrath ran up to it, completely ecstatic. All the dents had been pounded out, cleaned off, and anything that had been destroyed beyond repair had been replaced.

"It should run perfectly. It's old, but it will last… just one problem."

Both demonbeasts fell silent as the woman walked forward and opened up the hood. For a moment, Meta-K02 was worried something was wrong with the engine, but Kamira pointed to something else: a strange mechanism attached to the back that had been completely blasted to bits.

"I have absolutely no clue what that is, but I think that's what lifts the starship into the air and keeps it up. There's no way I can fix that thing in the state it's in and I can't replace it. If that thing is broken, the ship might never be able to leave the ground…"

"W-what?" Wolfwrath cried. "We can't leave?"

As she and Kamira continued to talk, Meta-K02 felt his throat tighten. If they couldn't leave… they were trapped in this frozen wasteland. He looked up at the sky. Because the atmosphere around Icronth was so thin, even in the daytime, the stars were all present and the massive orange planet filled the other half of the sky. Without their ship, they could never… leave.

He pointed at the other ships.

"Can't you fix one of them instead?"

"They're too damaged to even hope to repair, kid. All they're good for are ship parts…"

Meta-K02 peered between the rows, catching sight of shiny, new metal. He ran over to a line of operational starships, extremely nice ones at that. He tugged on Kamira's coat.

"Those?"

"They aren't mine. Those are customer ships. You'd get arrested for stealing it if you run into intergalactic police."

Meta-K02 couldn't believe it. THERE WERE SHIPS RIGHT HERE AND THEY COULDN'T USE THEM? They were in _need_!

Later on in the day, Meta-K02 continued to stare hatefully at the 'customer ships' from inside the garage. They couldn't be unlocked, and he had tried so hard using his consciousness to open it but he failed. He had inherited so little of Nightmare's power… it was shameful.

"_What's wrong?"_

He flinched, standing up to see Wolfwrath there. This time, just ignore her, he thought. The prince turned away, but she sat down next to him. He felt her tail swish on his arm. She really felt like someone's pet dog…

"Wolfwrath, go find some kind of animal and bring it back here."

"_Uh… what?"_

"I order you now! Find me an animal and bring it to me!"

"… _alright… it's just an odd… request…"_

"Oh, and make sure to kill it too." He called after her.

She returned with a rabbit-like animal's carcass dripping with blood that she carried in her mouth. She nicely laid it out at his feet and he inspected it. The prince nodded.

"Alright. You're dismissed."

"… _I just came to check in on you..."_

"Well, you're no longer needed. So go away."

He took the dead body and dragged it away from the garage and behind a snowdrift where he set to work letting the blood flow into a jar he found. As soon as it had filled up enough, he let the body go and stared at the dark red. It was time, once again. Would he finally be able to hold it in this time? He tipped his head back and drank it as quickly as he could without tasting it. Its sweet smell had reach his head, now it was starting to make his mouth sour. He choked, swallowing the rest of it and holding a hand over his mouth. His stomach was twisting.

Hold it in. Hold it in…

"_Prince… are you okay?"_

"Oh god… I'm going to hurl…" He gasped, unable to turn to look at Wolfwrath.

She didn't leave, even as he vomited. The wolf patiently waited with concern until he was sitting back up again. He wiped his mouth clean and stared up at the sky, breathing heavily.

"It's… it's not fair… how can I be a demonbeast if I can't even act like one?"

"_What do you mean? You_ are _a demonbeast."_

"But… I'm a First Generation… if I don't drink blood, I will die and before that, go crazy… but every time I try, I always end up getting sick and puking. Then I have to keep trying until I don't… I was so ashamed, I never told Father and… and… I still can't."

She didn't reply, but he just kept talking on because now all the feelings inside him were exploding out.

"And my wings… I can feel them, but I don't know how to fly. All the other demonbeasts with wings can fly after one year…"

"All that will come to you eventually, Prince… you're not giving yourself time."

"I inherited some of Father's powers, but I'm too weak to even use them! Look! I'm going to move the jar over there without touching it."

Slowly and reluctantly, he held his hand forward, reaching towards the jar and concentrated. He wanted to do it this time. He felt the universe's particles respond to him as his eyes turned white. The jar twitched and fell over, spilling all the dark red over the snow. He threw his arms up, angry now.

"See? I was supposed to move it on that rock but all I could do was move like a centimeter up and it fell over. All that I'm good for is unlocking doors, but not even all doors. It has to be ones that need keys. It's so stupid! Father can rearrange planets miles away and all I can do is this! I'm pathetic… why can't I do it?"

He covered his face with his hands. He didn't cry, but he felt like he wanted to. Everything that made him a demonbeast, he couldn't do. What did that make him? Wolfwrath gave him a gentle lick and this time, he didn't push her away.

"_No one's here to push you faster than your own pace to learn things, Prince… now you can do everything the way you want it and how you want to…"_

"… thanks…"

He stood up and abandoned the jar and carcass. He would try again some other time. They returned to the garage where an old starship was in the process of being disassembled. Kamira was underneath it, hugging herself now with a sullen look in her eyes. Great. Looks like she was turning back into the mental asylum patient.

"Ben, don't play outside today. They said the radiation poison is higher than usual today."

During these moments when it looked like she lost a grip on reality, everything was focused on him. Wolfwrath was forgotten.

"Oh… and the boy that lives in the corner house wasn't feeling too well yesterday… do you want to go visit him one last time before they bury him?"

Meta-K02 decided then that he wasn't going to put up with it. It made him nervous to be around someone who couldn't think straight anymore.

"Who's this Ben you keep calling me? Some dead kid? Well, I'm Prince Meta-K02 and you better address me that way!"

Something flickered in her eyes and suddenly; she snatched a broom and swung it, hitting him in the face.

"Get out!" She hissed as she stood up.

Meta-K02 and Wolfwrath were out the door and running as far away as they could into the snowy night. As soon as they couldn't see the house lights anymore, they stopped to catch their breath.

"_Prince… why did you have to say that? We don't have anywhere to go!"_

"This time I have a cape and you have a covering for your paws. We'll be able to stay out here longer. Plus, we can just stay in the starship. She said it will drive just fine on the ground so we can take it wherever. I don't plan on staying with any psychotic people."

Wolfwrath didn't say anything, but her eyes became bright gold. Meta-K02 rubbed his cheek where the broomstick had hit him and he walked off towards the town, Wolfwrath following him. All was silent and snow fell lightly around them. The only sound came from their feet crunching the snow. Meta-K02 took a quick look into some of the windows, seeing families at tables eating dinner and others going off to bed. It left him with a feeling of sadness. Was that the only reason why he couldn't be happy? Because he didn't have a family like them? Nightmare didn't even view him as his son… but he was always his father to him.

His thoughts were halted when suddenly, someone screamed.

"DEMONBEASTS!"

Doors flew open and fires burned in windows. That single shout roused the entire town in a matter of minutes and refugees came out with guns in hand. Meta-K02 never saw who had shouted after them; he and Wolfwrath were already running for their lives. Screams were filling the night air and someone fired several shots into the sky as they came out. Meta-K02 covered his head to block out the sound as panic filled him. What was going on?

He looked at Wolfwrath, who was actually scared. They moved back into the shadows, trying to conceal themselves. Where they were wasn't going to keep them safe for long though. He grabbed her fur and pulled Wolfwrath after him. They ran through the streets, barely avoiding a group of armed men followed by screaming mothers and wives. Then, a gun fired and blood flew off his wing. He cried in pain as he stopped to clutch it, gaping at the bullet wound in the wing's membrane and the tear in his cape.

People had found him and were crowding there. Meta-K02 hid his wings back under his cape, but by now, the snow around him was red. He and Wolfwrath clung to each other when Kamira pushed her way through the increasingly agitated crowd. She collapsed in front of them, holding them tightly in her arms.

Behind them, one of the men jabbed the barrel of his hunting gun into Kamira's back.

"Hey, Kamira. What the hell are you doing? Move aside! Those are demonbeasts!"

"Don't you go shooting my boy and dog! Someone screams demonbeast and you all start shooting at the first person you see." She said, standing up again. "They aren't demonbeasts! Look at them again! They're scared to death! You tell me what a demonbeast looks like."

"AUGH! There's something out there!" A woman screamed from the back. "Demonbeast! Demonbeast!"

Much of the crowd left in renewed panic to go chase what looked like a stray animal, but a small group remained, guns still firm in their grasps.

"Let's just take a quick look at them then. Demonbeasts are no small matter here; Kamira, and you know that. All of us lost our homes and our families to those hellish monsters."

Meta-K02 could feel Wolfwrath shake in his arms and he too was afraid. With Kamira's back turned to them, he could see that she had actually come prepared with a gun in her belt. Did she expect to use it?

"They're my children, and neither of them have ever done anything to hurt anyone. This demonbeast scare has gone to far. You all shot at that other visitor last month and we found out later he wasn't a demonbeast. I'm taking them home."

She didn't turn away from the group as she scooted Meta-K02 and Wolfwrath out. They were rushed over to Kamira's parked snowmobile and they were off immediately. She pulled her visor over her face as she increased the speed and they left the lights of the town to open darkness. Meta-K02 held on tightly, letting the snow blow past his face. He felt his lips quiver before he buried his face into her back.

"I didn't do anything… why did they shoot?"

"Sometimes, it's not about what you did, but you must take the pain for what you are. But never let them convince you that you did wrong when you didn't."

"K… K… Kamira… what are they going to do to us?"

"… it's going to be okay, Meta…"

He sniffled, looking up at her.

"… that's what you told your kid, wasn't it?"

That sucked the words right out of her and he regretted it immediately after he said it, seeing just how badly it hurt her. But then, she said.

"Meta… I want to apologize. When I saw you and Wolfwrath out there all alone, I remembered that was the way he died… all by himself. I tried to replace him with you because I thought it would take away the pain, but it only hurt worse. You're not him, and he's long dead. I want you the way you are. And don't ever leave again because it's not safe out in town for you two."

They pulled up at the house.

"Meta, go in and grab all the bed sheets and tie them all together. Wolfwrath, stay out here and tell us if you see anyone coming. I'll pack whatever else I can. We have to hurry."

"_But… where are we going?"_ Wolfwrath asked.

"The garage. It's far enough way from the town that we won't be bothered and we can set up half of it to live in. It's the only place we can go. I have a bad feeling they're going to burn this place down."

Meta got off and hurried inside and went into the bedrooms. He started rolling up them all into one big bundle when Kamira came in.

"I need one of the sheets. I don't have enough bags."

He pulled loose one of them and handed it to her. She gave him a wooden box.

"You can bring whatever you want. Just don't take too long."

He held the box in his hand for a long moment before he held his breath and picked up all the marbles and crayons off the floor and put them inside. Next to go in were the plastic soldiers, the car model, and a couple of movie posters he managed to fold nicely and fit in there. That was everything. At least all the small things that meant something to him living a totally different life than he had just days ago.

He came back out with everything to find that Kamira had dumped just about every box in the house and was picking things out of them. Plates… silverware… a few valuable items… an oil lamp… whatever she could find deemed useful. She already had a bag of the food cans from the pantry and a bag of coal next to it. All of it was put outside as they tried to figure out how to load it all on the back of the snowmobile. Kamira looked back at the town.

"Take this bag and find some spot away from the house and bury it in the snow. We can get it later."

A few minutes later, they were driving off again. Behind them, Meta-K02 could see the reddish glow in the distance where the house was. He turned away and never looked back.

In truth, moving into the garage wasn't bad at all, but Meta-K02 fully understood it now that he was a monster in the eyes of everyone. He never forgot that. Kamira had put up a wall around a corner of the garage that wasn't being used for repairing starships and insulated it well. It was cramped, kind of messy, but warm.

Meta climbed up the ladder into the attic: his new bedroom and placed the box on the windowsill. The glass itself was too thick to look out through but through the cracks, he could see the barren landscape. Kamira had also given him couple of daggers to keep and he placed them there next to the box. He lay down on the mattress and stared up at the posters he taped on to his wall. The springs in the bed stuck out too much to get comfortable, but he stayed there the rest of the sleepless night.

Sometime when the sky finally started to lighten, he got up and went over to the window. It took a lot of force, but he got it open and climbed on to the roof. He had to think about a couple of things now. His name was no longer Prince Meta-K02 and his home wasn't NME. He was Meta, and this was where he lived. Who was he, if he was turning his back to all of the life he had lived so far?

_That's for me to start: a new life, because father can never bring me back to NME again._

He didn't come back in for a couple of hours. His wings were starting to burn when he heard a voice behind him.

"Meta? Why are you up here? It's freezing cold."

He didn't answer. Kamira sat down beside him, letting her legs hang off the rooftop.

"Meta… you're not a bad kid. I just wish that… everyone else here knew that too."

She stayed there for a moment longer before she got up and went back in to let him be. Meta smiled a little. Meta. His name was Meta.

Finally, he shook the snow off of him and was thinking about going in when he let out his breath. No. He wanted to go back to Kamira's old house and see what they did to it. Anything that had happened to the house was a direct message to him and Wolfwrath. He was going to accept it and move on.

The roof was off the ground quite a ways and Meta went ahead and tried to use his wings. He only lowered himself a couple of feet before his strength gave out and he fell hard. It hurt, but he got up and walked the rest of the way. Kamira had been right that the townspeople would let the house go up in flames, but also there was red paint on the remains. He read it.

'GO BACK TO HELL DEMON.'

_I lived in Hell. And I'm never going back. _He thought to himself.

He continued walking, even past the town and into the outskirts. Most of the houses here were empty and boarded up. At least there wasn't any threat of running into those armed men. A sound caught his attention and he peered around one of the walls.

A lone boy was sitting on a pipe in a large dumpsite behind the houses, throwing shurikens at a handmade target board. A ninja… a true ninja. The prince watched, fascinated by how precise the boy could hit the center circle of the target.

He could hit that center target easily! Meta relented, allowing his eyes to calculate distance and angle along with wind speed.

The boy ran out of shurikens and he slowly lowered himself off the pipe to retrieve them when a blade suddenly shot past his face, striking the board side by side with his star-shaped blades.

"Who goes there?" The boy demanded, flipping a concealed knife into a killing position.

He turned and saw Meta standing there, cape fluttering. Both of them examined each other for a few moments before Meta decided to make the move… when he decided to try and make the first friend he would ever have.

"Meta." He said, trying to smile a little.

He turned back to the target and tossed another dagger, hitting the center circle again. The boy's bright blue eyes followed the blade as it flew in the air.

"Yamikage." The ninja boy said after a while.

Thus was how Meta and the ninja, Yamikage met. They traded weapons: Meta gave him one of his daggers and Yamikage gave him back one of his shurikens without much of a word between them. Neither of the two would have known it then, but the same knife that started their friendship, would be the very same one that would end it years later…

* * *

Nightmare slowly stirred the orb's flickering image of Meta-K02 with the ragged ninja boy from his own dimension. The emperor thoughtfully watched the prince's expression. This was the happiest he had ever seen him. This was what Meta-K02 wanted? The company of lowly beggars? Nightmare could feel the dark particles inside of him churn. However, he no longer had the time to deal with the boy any longer.

Instead, he concentrated on the image the stars had given him recently and let his thoughts fill the orb with a new figure. The gold armored man was pacing about alone, much like Nightmare was just moments ago. Sir Arthur's face was becoming clearer by each passing day until now where the orb could produce a complete rendering of the rebel leader. He was a dark green-skinned Popstarian, the same species Nightmare had based Meta-K02 on, with pale purple eyes that had a certain lost look in them. But… this Arthur… compared to all the top tiered generals who had opposed NME in the past, was nothing. Yes, he was reasonably strong, but he was no Star Warrior or previous war hero. His body was so crudely built from farm work and never had he gone to any type of military school. Yet Arthur was the center of all of Nightmare's fears. This man had already united much of the universe against him. If anything, the man must be a superior diplomat to appeal to so many in their cause.

For whatever reason, destiny followed this man and it unnerved the dark lord.

_Is he a threat? He won't find my Meta-K02. The boy's safe where he is… for now. I can always dispatch a ship or two to keep carefully watch over the area for GSA ships…_

Nightmare waved his hand and all of his regular chess pieces disappeared to be replaced by his war trophies. The stone figures on each chess piece base only stared back at him, their final expression frozen forever.

All of these pieces were defeated generals.

Some of them were so old that they were already crumbling away into dust. A pity: even as statues, they could never find immortality. It was personal tradition for him to invite the captured generals to a nice game or two of chess before he turned them into statues. After all, he had eternity to spare. He picked up one of the petrified generals and after a minute or so, let it fall from his hand and shatter on the chessboard. Maybe some day, Arthur would make a fine trophy.

Nightmare took one final look at the orb's image of the GSA leader.

_However different you and I may be… if destiny links us together, then you and I are of brother and blood and I will meet you someday where we will see just who destiny favors._

**X—X—X**

**Author Note:** Little surprise? (Maybe?) Demonbeasts actually being afraid of the GSA? At this point in the story, all they really know about the GSA is that many Star Warriors are joining it. I really wanted to squeeze that detail before I moved on (which is why we get a last look at Customer Service and Scipio before we go to Meta's view only for the next few chapters). I think it really says a lot on the part of the demonbeasts of why they will fight for NME even if some of them want freedom from it and in the way, reflects what the GSA soldiers are fighting for too, which will be important later in the story. Sure, NME does end up winning the war, but I disagree with the viewpoint a lot of people have that from the outset, they were unbeatable.

Do I spy a little Meta x Wolfwrath? They'd make a great crack pairing. :D

Kamira… first OC I ever made. I hate her and I have nothing really to comment about her.

Enter Yamikage… I'm super excited to have him in story and anyway, everyone loves Yamikage (I'd say he's probably the best remembered guest character in the anime). He is definitely a major character in this and expect to see Meta change drastically because of him.

Please review!


	7. Chapter VII: The Prince and the Duke

**Author Note:** Is it a surprise that I finished the chapter three weeks ago? I finished in a rush before I left for camp, but decided to hang on to it and continue working on it. Totally new beginning. The original was so dull. I felt that this chapter actually is pretty important since it introduces Meta at the age he's going to be for the rest of the story (With only some minor time jumps. Couple months or so).

Quick note: Meta Knight mentioned 200 as being the age when Kirby would have been a strong warrior. I assume that to correlate with the human age of 20 when we're pretty much independent. Meta's going to be 218. No other particular reason.

I apologize for forgetting one thing in the last chapter:

The part about Meta getting the box from Kamira to put whatever he wanted in it was kind of random because I forgot to lead up into it, but was supposed to be significant. He chose some plastic soldiers, which represents his eventual preference for the GSA. They're mentioned again in this chapter. It was also supposed to be something that Wolfwrath was going to notice and highly dislike.

And… it's GSA time.

**Disclaimer: **Cosmicgiraffe holds no rights over any of the characters mentioned in this chapter besides Kamira. The rest all belong to their respected owners, including Nintendo and HAL. The plot is fan based by Cosmicgiraffe, who does now hold any third party rights over the Kirby franchise.

**X—X—X**

**-Chapter VII: The Prince and the Duke**

Meta could only see a film of green as his eyes opened before slowly closing again. The only sound was his breathing and the sound of the air filter running… everything was just right, the way he remembered it. He felt safe again and happy… it seemed so long ago since the last time he truly did feel that way.

He was home at NME again and…

**NME?**

He was wide-awake now and he choked back his horror as he saw the familiar glass cylinder he was floating inside. NME… Nightmare had finally caught him! He wasn't strapped down, but he had wires connected to his wings and back. As he began thrashing around, they pulled off of him. Meta ripped the oxygen tube off his mouth and pounded against the glass. Nightmare would NEVER have him again!

The glass was thick and even throwing his entire body weight against couldn't even manage to leave a crack. He gasped for air but all he inhaled was the green liquid. He slammed his body against the cylinder again. Lines were starting to form on the glass…

He curled up, feeling his lungs throb. Was he going to drown in here? He came again at the glass and hit it. Now, the cylinder was starting to leak. The crack was a branched out spider web on the glass.

One final hit and it smashed apart. Alarms went off as the green liquid flowed out over the edges of the platform and he lay on his back, coughing it all out of his lungs. He raised a hand, realizing just how small it was which made him look down at his body in horror. He was a kid again… what happened?

"Meta-K02, what ever is the matter?" Nightmare said, storming into the room.

He harshly pulled Meta on to his feet and struck him against his face. The prince gripped his cheeks, losing himself to fear. He felt his words bubble out of him.

"No… no… where am I? I was FREE!"

"What in the world are you talking about? Go back to sleep. You're being crowned in the morning. You're too nervous, is all."

"No… I… I escaped and I met Wolfwrath and… and… I landed on Icronth and… and… and Kamira and Yamikage! I have a job! I…"

Nightmare looked tired and irritated.

"You're talking like an idiot right now. I sincerely hope you are finished with this nonsense by the time the entire Enterprises is watching."

The door opened again and Scipio entered behind Nightmare.

"My Lord… we only haz a half an hour before ze Prince iz to be crowned. All of ze Press is here already at ze doorz. Zey wanted to interview ze Prince before hand but I told ze guardz to not let any of zem in…"

"Oh? It's already time?"

"Haz you been distracted, My Lord? If need be, I can take over ze preparationz and…"

"No, the maids can come in here later to clean up the mess. Take Meta-K02 up to get his robe made, quickly!"

Meta was taken into a tower room where he was immediately attacked by the twin maids that tailored all of his capes for him. The two spider demonbeasts pulled him this way and that, fighting over him as they measured his shoulder length and height. Then, they started weaving cloth, using all eight legs to stitch in gold trims. Meta felt the weight of the pure silk against his back and he only looked back at his reflection with a dazed expression. This was his coronation robe… he wore this robe years ago when he was crowned… before he left NME…

Had he actually lived the rest of what he thought was his new life? Or had it all been… just a… dream?

Before he could think anything more, the doors slammed open and Nightmare came in and grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing standing there? The empire's waiting! Don't tell me you're still half awake…"

They came out on to the long platform outside of the palace where thousands of TV screens all around the city on billboards projected his confused face. Camera demonbeasts had been waiting right outside the door and upon their entrance, they began flashing away, taking one photo after another. The light was blinding, but he was pulled forward by Nightmare up the steps above all of NME.

Meta couldn't even hear his father's words at the ceremony and then, he felt his crown being placed upon his head and the roars of demonbeasts. NO! This wasn't real! Nightmare was playing with his memories.

"I lived a life outside of here… you can't trick me! I'm dreaming right now! I'm two hundred and eighteen! I met people! I have friends! Let me go, Father!" Meta cried as he took the crown and threw it off the edge of the platform.

Suddenly, the entire palace and NME disappeared into a swirl of smoke and Meta tumbled down into the darkness.

"How can you be so certain when you don't know what reality truly is? Do you think reality is what you see and hear? Then you know nothing at all…" Nightmare said before fading away into laughter.

* * *

Meta gasped awake in his bed… his own bed on Icronth. He looked over his grown body, relieved to see his arms muscular and his wings tattooed and pierced. On the chair next to his bed was his dark blue cape and fur shoulder pads, not the coronation robe or crown. Slowly… very slowly, he rested his head against the cold wall. It wasn't the first time Nightmare had talked through his dreams like this… but this was the worst.

He got up, nearly tripping on the blankets he had thrown off of him as he stumbled away and climbed down the ladder. Two-hundred and eighteen… he wasn't a kid anymore.

He washed his face in a basin of water and wiped the sweat off of him. Maybe from the dream, he was reminded he wasn't the same at all anymore. He didn't talk much anymore nor seek the company of others as much as he used to.

The early morning air was crisp as Meta went outside. Frowning a bit, he pulled his cape tighter around himself and carefully listened. There wasn't any stirring from inside. He cast one last glance at the faint square of light on the floor before he shut the door behind him.

It was the deep, soundless world of the morning hours that made him feel the most alive. Coming out here to sit on the roof was what he had been doing for years to settle his anger for feeling so alienated from others. Sometimes even Kamira and Wolfwrath weren't enough. He used to shun being alone, but after living here among people loathed his presence, his preference to seeking solitude began to form.

Below him, he heard the door open after a long struggle with the knob and Wolfwrath came padding out into the snow. She looked up at him and their eyes met, but Meta turned away. She looked about ready to say something, but she slowly went back in without a word, only emphasizing how distant he had become to her and many ways. The wolf was about the size of a car now and her fur was beautiful and radiant. The spikes along her back were fully-grown and Meta often found himself unable to tear away his eyes from her. But their ideals divided harshly over one particular issue…

His collection of GSA posters was stuck all over the chimney, where Wolfwrath couldn't see it. He laid down looking up at the picture of Sir Arthur, the greatest rebel leader of all the universe, staring down upon him. Every time the new posters were issued out around town, he'd go out and take them. For the most part, they were ignored. No one here, after escaping with their lives and families, wanted to return to the war zone that claimed so many of the people they knew. Why did he look upon the GSA so highly? Did he really believe they were fighting for justice? While they saved the lives of all races, they murdered his kind upon sight regardless if they were soldiers or not.

Looking up at the sky and mountains away from that awful refugee town, he could feel some certain peace. As much as he felt like he was turning his back to all of his people dying (and even to all who had died in the war from ordinary people and the rebel soldiers), fat chance he'd ever make a difference. He hated the question of which side he was on. He avoided it no matter who it was asking, even if it was himself.

He couldn't help himself anymore. He cast a sly glance at the new starship parked in the customer lot.

The ship was a prized Andromeda-C67 Model A from some rich guy from one of the neighboring moons. He ran his hand over the lustrous, unscratched metal plates. From working as an apprentice, he knew each model type well and couldn't help but admire them. It was a gorgeous ship… Kamira would never give him the keys to a customer ship, especially not one like this even when he himself had worked on parts of it. He was the one earning them the money now and it upset him that he wasn't allowed to touch it.

But there was nothing wrong with just checking everything and making sure it was working just right…

Meta held his hand over the lock and concentrated on the gears inside of it. He could feel his cape lift up a little as the universe twisted to his command. The gears turned and…

_Click._

The engines started up soon after and his white eyes returned to gold again. He climbed into the cockpit, sinking into its padded seat and held the steering wheel. The gauge went up to the two hundred miles per hour… was he really just going to sit here and admire the thing? The dashboard was lit up and he found himself suppressing a small tinge of guilt. He really didn't want to disappoint Kamira… the last time he was in jail, it left such an awful feeling in him.

Slowly, he let out his breath and got back out again. Not today.

He walked instead to town, slowly trudging through the deep snow as he carried a large bag with metal sheets he was delivering. When he had landed here on Icronth, the town was little more than just a group of huddling shacks. Over the years, the population grew from newly arrived refugees escaping the worsening war, but every new home and building stayed far away from Kamira's place. Everyone knew what was living in the lonely house on the outskirts. And yet, despite the hate, the death threats had stopped and Meta actually worked a couple of jobs in town… not like that made anything better. He worked so hard, yet no one ever appreciated everything he did. They hated him. And he hated every last one of them too.

There were few people up this early and he was relieved to be free of harassment, but he realized he thought too soon. Over by the general store, he found the two town police officers standing out in the snow. They spotted him and began approaching him. Meta bit his lip. They looked like they were going to give him trouble so he started away, but they caught up to him.

"Demon boy. What are you doing about so early?" They demanded, surrounding him.

"I have to stop by Gritts' and drop off his order."

"What were you doing last night? Were you near the general store? Why are you alone here, demon? There was a break-in and we'd like to ask some questions."

"Look! I didn't do anything! I was working in Kamira's starship garage 'til eight and I went to bed afterwards. Go ahead and ask her!"

They reached to grab his arms but he shrugged them off and kept walking. He was fuming now but he held his tongue and approached the iron shop on a quieter street. By now, the bag was getting too heavy to carry much further and he came around back through the alley and turned the door handle. It didn't budge. Meta swore under his breath and set the bag down, relieving his back, and tried again. The handle certainly wasn't frozen shut. It was locked. Above him, the door's slit window slammed open.

"Giiiiiiit OUTTA 'ere, demon. You're fired! I don't need any more trouble with the police because of you." His employer roared.

"Well I brought you your shipment. Thirty sheets of iron." Meta said in a low voice, barely hanging on to his temper. "… and I'm not leaving until you pay me. You skipped my wage last week."

This time, the entire door slammed open and Mr. Gritts looked down at him with the same, nasty frown he always gave Meta upon sight. He did all the ironwork in town and he certainly looked like the type from how muscular he was and how dirty his work apron was. He kicked Meta hard into the snow.

"Do you know, boy, who gave Kamira all that money to bail you out? Half the town had a petition going to keep you behind bars. You should be thanking me."

Gritts came back into his workshop and slammed the door in Meta's face after taking the package. The demonbeast got up and pounded on the door.

"I'm not leaving!"

"Then come back tomorrow morning, four thirty sharp! I don't have anything for you to do today, demon boy. Now SCRAM!" Gritts shouted from inside.

_Four thirty my a**…_

Meta winced and shook the snow off of him and stood up. He really needed the money… and none of it was his fault for being put into jail…

… except of course, for being a demonbeast.

He silently gave up and started off again to look for Yamikage at the far end of town where all the abandoned houses lay in ruins. Meta looked around the empty street. The buildings here were run down and boarded up. Wind howled between the cracks, leaving such a bleak air over this part of town. Where was Yamikage? Last time, his friend had to move out for the new refugees moving in. The snow sifted on forgotten doorsteps as he searched.

Then he yelled,

"Hey! Yamikage!"

Suddenly, he was knocked off his feet and both he fell into the snow. Meta looked up, gasping when Yamikage suddenly appeared on top of him in a screen of smoke. Meta grinned, throwing the ninja off of him and shaped a snowball.

Yamikage appeared on the roof of a house and was gone before the snowball could hit him. Then he was on the storm pipe right behind Meta.

"Where'd you learn that?"

"My father showed me a long time ago. Finally got it. Isn't it cool?"

Meta took the chance to hit Yamikage with another snowball. The ninja wiped it off and tackled him.

"So, how'd you get in jail? I heard about it yesterday. Did you steal something?" Yamikage said is a strained voice, trying to outdo Meta's strength as they wrestled arms.

"Didn't steal. Just bit one of the Burr Brothers for jumping me. He gave me a black eye."

"You bit him? Did you kill him?"

"No, I wish, but they took me to jail because they thought I was going to."

"You're going to get in trouble some day, Meta. Big trouble. I think the jail's got your name on one of the cells just for you."

"No way. I'm not bad."

"Says the guy who spent the night there already."

Meta laughed and forced Yamikage's arm down, winning the competition. He flexed out his wings with pride. Now he had the chance to show off all the neat wing piercings he had.

"Whoa, Meta. How many piercings do you have? Last time you had like two."

"Uh… never counted them." He said, touching one of them. "Just keep adding when I feel like it."

Yamikage shook his head.

"You seriously look like a thug. I don't blame the guys that threw you in jail, Meta. I keep saying it."

Meta was about to answer when they both heard something above.

"Is that a ship?"

Meta turned to the sky where a large starship was indeed descending. Such a large ship… was it more refugees?

"Let's go see!" Yamikage said, grabbing Meta's arm.

Apparently the ship's arrival was a lot bigger than they thought. Just about every refugee was there at the landing site, crowding around two men who were wearing full armor. They seemed kind of miserable and underdressed for the frozen planet. They shivered as they got up on ship's platform for a better view of their audience. But behind them, printed on the ship's side were three letters that made Meta's heart stop.

G S A

What saintly letters. These were recruiters? Meta's mouth hung open. This was the GSA! Oh god, this was the GSA, right here in front of him looking for soldiers. Was Sir Arthur himself here? He bit down on his tongue. Not like he could ever hope to join an army of soldiers who hated his kind.

"Citizens of Icronth, people of all planets who have come here in refuge! From who have you run from? Who has taken your home and loved ones?"

Meta could already see that their speech was having little effect on the people in the crowd. Of course they weren't going to join, they were all either too scared, or too tired of the war. When he went turned back to the two officers to listen, it looked like they were just about finishing.

"How can we let Nightmare take our only hope! We must fight him! We must fight to protect the universe! We must fight to avenge those he has ruthlessly murdered! We must fight to give the children of the universe a future! Join the GSA and help our cause!"

Meta was about to nudge Yamikage and joke no one was going to sign up when his friend walked to the stand.

"Sirs, I want to be the first here to enlist!" Yamikage said resolutely, putting both hands down on the stand.

The officers immediately handed him the sheet and pen to sign his name, congratulating him for doing his part in protecting the universe's freedom, followed by a lot more junky thanks. Yamikage finished and they turned to Meta, offering him the sheet.

"What about you boy? Will you fight for justice?"

"I… I don't think I'd make a good soldier…"

They didn't push it. The officers were back to slapping Yamikage on the back while Meta stood there. He couldn't believe it. Yamikage was leaving him? No one even noticed as Meta slipped away. There weren't really any places to go to on Icronth and he didn't even know where he was running.

Meta didn't return home until very late that night. He shut the door behind him and walked in, not even bothering to wipe the snow off his feet. Dinner was waiting in the oven and he took the bowl of soup to the table and sat down. He ate a spoonful, but since Kamira wasn't there, he got up to go to the cupboard and scoop a large mound of sugar into the soup. He slowly stirred the mixture… he couldn't stand it.

Yamikage was going to be a soldier.

His friend was leaving behind to join something Meta could never hope to do as well although he dreamed about it. It would anger Wolfwrath to hear him say it, but on some days, he almost forgot he was a demonbeast with Yamikage around and forgetting made him dream of something other than the monster.

But it was a terrible thought: him massacring his own kind. What for? To be a hero? That would make him a murderer…

"Meta? Are you home?"

Kamira ambled in, squinting her eyes. She couldn't see much past a few feet away or hear well anymore so Meta put down his spoon and answered loudly,

"I'm here."

She sat down at the table and watched him eat. Even with the added sugar, he couldn't eat much. Everything tasted bitter.

"Mom… what am I?"

"… Meta, let's not go in that direction…"

"Because you don't want to say it? That I'm a demonbeast?" Meta said defensively, standing up on his chair. "Does ANYONE want to say it?"

"Meta. Please sit down." She said, hand reaching to take his arm.

His wings were sprawled out and he only pushed her hand away. He couldn't control all the emotion that was running through him. Meta's eyes were bright red now and he took the bowl and smashed it against the wall. Everything that he could find and lift was broken in a matter of minutes. An end table, all of the plates from the cupboard… a chair… Kamira quietly sat there at the table until Meta was done. Breathing hard, he lay down on the floor in tears.

"Come here, Meta." She said gently after several minutes.

He didn't respond for a long moment before he slowly got up and buried his face into her lap as she stroked his wings comfortingly. He wiped his eyes, angry at himself for breaking down emotionally.

"Meta… tell me what's wrong. What happened today?"

"NOTHING. Alright? Just leave me alone!"

He felt a violent shiver run down his wings and for a moment; he was so angry at Kamira for asking. Then, he realized just how aggressive he was starting to get as if he was on blood lust. It only made the obvious even clearer to him. He clutched her pant legs tightly, shaking.

"I want to join the GSA. I want to prove that I'm not a monster… everyone here says I belong in jail, even Yamikage. He's going to be a soldier… I… I can't join because I'm a… I'm a… demonbeast… I mean, why do I even want to join? All the GSA does is kill demonbeasts… but… but…"

He couldn't talk anymore. He sat back down on the floor and bit his lip. Wolfwrath entered the room just then, wondering what was going on with all the smashed up furniture. She stayed at the doorway, watching him with concern.

"Meta… you're not a monster… when you let out your anger, though, anyone can say that. No matter what people say, don't let them hurt you. Can you promise me you won't?"

He nodded numbly. Kamira sighed.

"You might never have this chance for a future again. Icronth… Icronth has nothing and you might never be able to leave again. I don't want you to regret years from now when you're toiling your life away to earn so little… that you didn't follow your dream."

"It was wrong for me to want to want to join it… what does that make me? I… I still care about my kind…"

Kamira kindly smiled.

"The war will only continue to worsen. Maybe someday, you can show the universe that your kind isn't the enemy. Can you do anything for them just sitting here? There's no one else in the entire universe that could stop this war than you, you have to believe in that. Speak no more about this. If those officers are still up, tell them you want to enlist. I'll pack everything for you. And before you go to bed, please pick up the mess."

"… T… thanks… Mom."

* * *

Meta was restless all night. His thoughts were clouded with doubt and worry as well as horrific images of him slaying his own kind… and being found out by Star Warriors. How could he even hope to hide what he was? Just as easily as he could pick out Star Warriors from a crowd, they could find him… wings or not, they'd find him if he stumbled upon one.

Throwing the bed sheets off of him, he sat on the edge of his bed, listening to its old springs creak. He felt sick to the stomach and wanted desperately to start the day, but it was still dark outside his window.

Below the floorboards, he could hear the coals in the oven be shifted. He got out of bed and peered down through the cracks to see Wolfwrath resting her head on the oven door opening nestled on the small flames. She too couldn't sleep either.

Wolfwrath.

A terrible image of him killing her as a GSA soldier crept into his mind. It was almost enough to get him running downstairs and announcing he was changing his mind, yet he didn't move. He had already talked to the GSA recruiters and he had signed his name on that cursed piece of paper. He closed his eyes.

_This is for me… this is for me to not be a demonbeast anymore…_

With a renewed mix of anxiousness, he pictured himself in armor holding a sword high above his head like a knight… like a hero.

He rolled over on his bed and picked up one of the plastic army men from the windowsill. This one was holding a rifle, kneeled down on the base of the plastic figure. What was he shooting at? A demonbeast? He knew, deep in his heart, that he wished to be a Star Warrior, not a demonbeast. If only he wasn't one. What if he had been born a Star Warrior instead? People would cheer for him. People would love him… he couldn't tell anyone these thoughts, especially Wolfwrath. She even had it in her mind that they'd someday go back to NME.

He had to wait for the morning before he finally got up to take a last look at his room. It was stupid for him to be sad now. In the corner was the unfinished fort he and Wolfwrath had made together. On the floor were scattered drawings… it occurred to him just how little he had ever done with his life here and instead only dreamed about becoming someone.

Downstairs, he found a packed bag waiting for him on the floor and he weighed it. What did Kamira even put in here? It was heavy and the long shape of the bag was hard to carry.

Wolfwrath crawled out of the stove and greeted him one last time. She affectionately licked his face but her eyes were full of sadness. The gem on her forehead for a brief moment turned a bluer shade of green. Meta had a hard time to look into her eyes.

"_Prince… maybe no one would notice if I—"_

"No… there's no way."

Then, shyly, he hugged her.

"I'm sorry I never really… appreciated you being there with me as much as I should have… thanks… for everything."

"_It's alright, Prince."_ She answered. _"I'm… I'm so happy for you. Please help our people… somehow…"_

He let go and looked around the room. He only had to say goodbye to Kamira now but… she wasn't here. Had she even come out of her room this morning?

"Mom?"

He turned the bedroom knob but it was locked. Meta was stunned. She wasn't going to say goodbye to him? He had to leave in just a few minutes!

He pressed his head to door but couldn't hear her even getting up.

"Mom! Please!"

Sure, she might be sad for him to leave, but it was hurting him even more for her not to see him go! Yamikage came in from the garage with his own bag, which was much smaller than Meta's.

"Hey, Meta. We have to get going in about a minute."

Kamira was not coming out. Meta bit his lip and grabbed his bag. He slowly moved towards the door but stopped when he was at the doorway. The ship was going to leave…

"Goodbye, Mom…" He murmured.

* * *

Wolfwrath watched the door close and all become silent once more. She too was shocked Kamira wouldn't even come out to say goodbye.

The Prince was… moving on… she felt happy for him and she needed to do the same, though accompanying him would endanger both of them. His goodbye had left an empty hole in her heart. He still didn't regard her as much to him, but he thank her "for everything", he said.

She looked at the hot coals in the stove and was about to crawl in and comfort herself, but she remained at the window. This silence in the house would never be filled again. Her pledge to be his servant was meaningless now. Maybe the Prince couldn't see it, but Kamira was too old. In a few more years, months even, she'd pass on and leave Wolfwrath alone in a town of demonbeast haters. But her pledge! She swore her life for him! What if he needed her and she was not there to help him? If he could be in the GSA and go about unnoticed, so could she. She'd keep her distance, make sure he was okay… and if they were found out, she'd be there with him until the end.

_Anything for my prince…_

But what was she doing here? The ship was leaving!

With that, she ran up to Kamira's door and said,

"_I'm following my prince and continuing to serve him! Goodbye Kamira… and thank you."_

She knew she'd never be able to tie on her paw coverings or open the door so she took a flying leap and crashed through the window. She nearly stumbled as the watery snow met her bare paws, but she ran after the fading footprints and ignored the pain.

She loved Prince Meta-K02, even if he didn't love her back. What if she was too late? What if he was already… gone?

Snow scattered as she leapt like a blazing red stag. Panic only made her run faster until at last, she saw the ship still being loaded. She slowed down and carefully made her way towards it. Red fur was certainly all too easy to spot against white snow in the daylight.

The two men had recruited a group to help them move crates into the cargo hold and while they were distracted with that, Wolfwrath got close to the opening. Now… just how was she going to slip inside unnoticed?

She sniffed the boxes and to her dismay, found them all nailed shut. The men were almost done… and soon, they'd be coming for the crates she was hiding behind. Wolfwrath looked around, and found nothing. She had to be quick if she was going to even hope to be with the Prince. Making a daring step forward, she crept up when one of the men's shadows fell upon her and she ducked back. She panted, watching him take a box up into the cargo hold. He hadn't seen her.

The men were now struggling to lift up a heavy crate of fuel and they were all turned away. Wolfwrath was in open view now… then she darted up the ramp, careful not to make any scratching sounds with her claws. She safely made it to the back where she settled down on top of a sack and waited. The last of the cargo was loaded and the GSA officers bid the rest of the men farewell. One of them stayed behind, taking a gloved finger and rubbing off the faint, bloodstain on the ramp. It looked like a paw print but… he didn't think anything more of it.

* * *

The biggest surprise in Meta's life was waiting at the ship site. There, surrounding the starship on its launch platform was the entire town huddled in the snow. Every one of them, people who had hated him all his life, was there to watch the first demonbeast join the GSA.

Meta could only stand there dumbly until Gritts patted him on the back.

"Hey, uh… boy. Yamikage told us all the news… we're… shocked… and happy to see you a soldier. Now listen, I stayed up late last night to make this for you… it's from all of us."

He handed a bewildered Meta a hastily wrapped package tied with odd bits of string. With a nod from the ironsmith, he tore it open and held the iron, V-slitted mask in his hands. Gritts had hammered out all the impurities and the demonbeast could tell it was one of his employer's finest work on metal crafting.

The two GSA officers got on board to leave Meta and Yamikage during the moment. Meta strapped the mask on, immediately feeling its weight on his face. His vision was so limited now, but Yamikage was giving the thumbs up.

"Man… you look like the real thing now… "

One neighbor woman, who Meta recognized as the crazy lady who had hit him with a rolling pin once, yelled from the back,

"But why are you joining the GSA?"

Everyone was looking at him for an answer and Meta grinned.

"I'm going to end the war!" He shouted back.

People cheered as he and Yamikage boarded the starship and Meta felt the last cold wind brush against his wings tucked under his cape before the door was sealed close. Both of the boys situated themselves in the passenger hold as the two officers continued checking the ship.

"Well boys, we got all the cargo loaded. You two better get settled in cause we have a _long_ trip ahead. We just found out last night that the hyper drive was damaged. Going to take us a while to reach the transit station."

The one in the red suit went to the control bridge and started up the engines. The one in the green suit looked back at Meta and chuckled.

"Didn't know you were such a celebrity. Must be something, huh, to have that many admirers. Pity they weren't inspired like you two are."

_Well known? Yes. Admired. Far from it… _Meta thought to himself.

The ship was lifting off the ground now and Meta suddenly felt his entire body shake as if injected with nervousness again. He stood up again and slammed a hand against the wall, looking outside the window as the town disappeared from view. Yamikage was leaning against his bag at ease. Unlike Meta, he didn't have any attachments to Icronth in the slightest. Meta was leaving behind so much that had meant to his life…

He gritted his teeth and took his seat again, trying desperately to catch the last glimpse of snow before the starship left Icronth's atmosphere and sailed out into open space. All the turbulence was making his stomach sick… was it really this long since the last time he had been in a starship riding instead of working on one?

Meta wasn't listening the two officers talk, but something they said caught his attention.

"…and can you believe it? The way those NME starships were just waiting above this place?"

"Jeez… yeah… they damaged so much on our ship…"

Meta's mouth went sour. Yamikage caught his expression and sat up.

"There… there were NME ships?" His friend asked for him.

"Don't worry about it, kid. We got rid of them. It's just odd though, that there'd be just two of them hanging here in such a non-strategic location. We wondered if they might be scouting or something."

The two officers kept talking, making a few jokes about the ordeal before they returned their attention to steering the ship again. Yamikage looked at Meta with concern but he only looked away. His friend put a hand on his shoulder.

"… Meta… but… but how could they have…"

"… Father knew…"

Meta felt cheated of the years of freedom he thought he had been living. How long had Nightmare had ships orbiting Icronth? Since the day he ran away? Were there more ships out there, waiting to snatch him and drag him back to NME? Had… had Nightmare tried to but decided to let him be?

Time passed, but the ship was never attacked. Neither Meta or Yamikage had talked at all after the news but finally, Meta decided to ask about something else that was bothering him. A quick glance at the closed cockpit door told him their conversation wouldn't be heard by the GSA officers.

"… Yamikage?" He asked quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you tell everyone that I was joining? They could have let it slip about… you know…"

"Relax, Meta. They didn't. You deserved the recognition anyway."

Meta looked out the window again. Did Yamikage try to get rid of him? Meta couldn't shake that feeling… and feel guilty for thinking such a terrible thing of his friend. It could have easily ruined everything for him with just one mention of NME or demonbeast. No… why was he suddenly against Yamikage? He did it for him as a friend… and he thanked him for that silently. As much as they were good friends, something always seemed to be wedged between them… Meta hoped it wouldn't hurt their friendship.

He let out his breath. What about the other friend he left behind? Wofwrath had always been there for him and now, he was on his own. He's come back to visit Kamira and her someday…

"Hey, Meta, you might as well sleep if you didn't last night. You look tired."

"Yeah…" He breathed. "I should…"

Meta lay down with his head against his bag and stared up at the ceiling for a while before finally, fell asleep.

* * *

Meta instantly recognized the hazy orange sky and the swaying stalks of corn plants that surrounded him. He sat up and looked through the dense forest. Every direction yielded no trace of a path. Getting up to stand on his tiptoes, Meta still could not see over the plants. Everything about this place was starting to unnerve him…

The field was from a picture on the canned corn he loved so much. He remembered turning over every can in the pantry to look for the same orange sky, endless sea of corn. For a dream, he was surprisingly thinking pretty clear and was very much aware of his surroundings.

He pushed the stalks and leaves out of his way and started to explore a bit. The soil had an odd texture, he noticed, and the air was difficult to breathe. …and if only he could shake that feeling that something was watching him. In fact, it felt like _many_ things were watching him from every direction, slowly following him as he walked.

Meta felt so conscious about his height here. He really needed to see where he was...

Then, Meta saw something move from the corner of his eye… some beast large and black. Something in him cracked and he ran for his life. There was nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide… and those shadows were gaining on him!

He felt one of them reach to grab him, but he pulled away. Why couldn't he stand and fight them? Why was he suddenly so afraid? He burst into a clearing and turned to face them, getting ready to run again, but the shadows never came into the light. Slowly, he caught his breath. He backed up… straight into the one person he feared most.

"Hello… son."

Meta gave a horrified gasp when Nightmare's hands muffled his mouth. The dark lord had shrunken himself down to about Kamira's height and with his other hand, stroked Meta's muscular arms and wings.

"Look at you now… you've become a fine, young man better than I could have imagined. You've grown strong… and even such a fine sense of humor. I'm truly amused. You, being a GSA soldier."

Meta struggled to break out of his grip when Nightmare pinched the prince's cheeks, leaving deep cuts in his face. Then in a mimicked voice, he said,

"_I want to join the GSA to prove I'm not a monster."_

That made Nightmare cackle so hard, he let go of him. Meta looked around himself as he got back on his feet. He had to get away… Nightmare recovered and grabbed his arm before he could move and leaned close, face almost touching Meta.

"Ah, but you weren't joking. You were serious enough to insult your own kind and me. Why is it that you choose the Star Warriors and all those who want your kind to burn in hell? Have you lost your honor? How pitiful."

"I'm not afraid of you, father." Meta snarled, twisting away.

"Not afraid? You are, yet you refuse to admit it. Meta? Is that what you go by now? Are you offended by your real name? Was it not good enough for you? Because it made you feel like a machine?"

He kept advancing toward Meta, who had nowhere to back away into, less he be swallowed up by the cornfield again.

"I was infuriated last night, but couldn't reach you because you didn't go to sleep. I've kept an eye on your dreams since the day you ran away from me and I've finally decided enough is enough. I let you settle down and grow up and now I'm sending ships to take you back. You won't have to worry about a thing. When I let you wake up, you'll be already at home again."

"No… you can't make me go back! I'll run away again!"

He found a narrow gap between the corn stalks and Meta darted away, far, far away.

"No matter how far you run, you can never escape this dream! You are helpless in your sleep!"

Then, a streak of electricity struck Meta's back. He fell flat on his face and felt his body begin to change. He immediately sat up, gasping as his hands grew smaller than his gloves. His mask fell off his face and the cape suddenly became too big. He turned to look at his now premature wings and realized Nightmare had turned him into kid again.

All of his fear had intensified and he felt his emotions flood out. He was weaker and unable to fly. He no longer had any of the self-assurance he had gained over the years and he had succumbed to total fear now. Nightmare was coming after him and he couldn't even run. Every step tripped him up with his smaller feet. The shadows were coming after him and the ground was freezing underfoot.

Meta collapsed to the ground and covered his head, cowering as Nightmare's shadow fell upon him. He couldn't let him win… there was no way Meta would let him take his entire life away… not when he was so close to becoming someone…

"Father… I want to make a bet." He said, slowly regaining strength.

Nightmare looked quizzically at him.

"A bet?"

Meta stood up and looked the dark lord in the eye.

"If I can become a soldier and… and if I get promoted to a high officer, you can't take me back ever again. And you can't trap me in my dreams either."

"And if you lose?" Nightmare said, smirking.

"I'll… I'll let you take me back and…" His voice caught in his throat.

"Annnndd…"

"I'll do whatever you want for the rest of my life."

"Do you know what you are saying? If you give up, you will be returning to me and I'll never let you go again. Those Star Warriors will find you and kill you without hesitance."

Meta closed his eyes.

"If they kill me, then I will still be free from you."

Nightmare chuckled.

"Very well then. I'll be patient and play this little game…"

A few moments later, Meta woke up on the floor with Yamikage shaking him. He sat up, breathing hard.

"Meta? What happened? Your face started bleeding all of a sudden and you wouldn't wake up!"

Meta touched his face. Sure enough, his gloves were red from the deep scratches Nightmare had left.

* * *

Both boys were already awestruck by the sight of just the _transfer station_. Meta couldn't even imagine how the main headquarters would look; his stomach was filled with so much excitement and nervousness. The station was a satellite orbiting a small planet and the ship landed in the inner sphere. The two officers bid them farewell and good luck before they took off again to find more recruits.

The men all around them looked serious about their work from boarding regiments on to ships or unloading cargo. Meta had finally gotten the chance to see himself with his mask on and he felt proud. But underneath, it felt like he was hiding his shame. Here he was, standing like a knight, but masking what he truly was. He felt protected wearing it though… and as long as he looked like a true warrior in it, he'd never take it off.

Other ships were dropping off new soldiers too and they followed the group into a line. It went slow and Meta and Yamikage sat on his oversized bag for much of the time. It wasn't until they neared the desk when a man dressed in black approached them. Meta noticed his tied up hair and shurikens in his belt… he looked just like his friend.

"You, boy. Are you of the ninja?" He said, looking directly at Yamikage.

"… Yes… Sir." He said in surprise.

The man held out a hand with a red-inked design on his palm and Yamikage, stunned, looked at his own hand that had the exact same design etched. Meta could see just how emotionally this was affecting his friend, but he felt slightly awkward being ignored for the moment.

"You'll train with us in the special ninja unit. What is your name?"

"Yamikage."

"Yamikage… your name, is it 'dark shadow'?"

"Yes… Sir." Yamikage answered, voice almost squeaking.

"Do not call me Sir. Call me Brother Yoshiro. I will be your sensei. Come, Yamikage."

Yamikage started away almost too eagerly, but he turned to look back at Meta. Meta only smiled encouragingly and waved him goodbye, but inside, he felt cheated. He thought he'd be fighting alongside his friend and instead, he was being taken away again. He heard someone clear his throat to find he was next in line to meet with the increasingly agitated officer who looked like he needed a break from all the paperwork.

"Name?"

"Meta." He answered, but when the man continued looking at him, he said, "J… just Meta."

"Age?"

"Two hundred and eighteen."

"Race? Mm… Popstarian… no wonder, your kind lives so d*** long…" The man grumbled as he busily wrote down all the information on to a sheet. "Male…"

He took out a measuring tape and before Meta could even react, the officer already wrote down his height and the tile he was standing on was turned out to a scale. His weight was recorded in the next second.

"Sign here. And be quick about it. I hope you're not like the last guy who couldn't even write on a straight line."

He wrote his name as the officer quickly scrolled through a computer listing. Then, he had a strained look on his face.

"What's wrong? Did I sign it correctly?"

"It looks like all the first year regiments are filled to the brim. The regiment sergeants can't take anymore… ah, we'll just put you in second year. You, boy. You'll be in the 54th regiment under Sergeant Kit Cosmos. Here's your barrack number and you'll be taking starship 8 over there on the left."

Meta took the card and began to walk away, but he stopped. They weren't even going to try to fit him into a first year regiment? If second year actually started to fight, he'd be killed! He turned but the officer was already helping the next soldier in line. He too was being placed into a second year regiment, different than Meta's.

Meta exhaled. _Don't complain. Just accept it and walk forward. It will work out_… he hoped.

He found the ship and as its only passenger, the starship took off for its destination before Meta could ever see the one who had been following him from the shadows.

* * *

Wolfwrath wanted to cry out for Meta as she watched him leave the table after receiving a card. Why couldn't he sense her here behind these boxes? She had gotten so far, just to watch him board another ship. Where was he going? Was he leaving her behind here?

She was absolutely starving now and tired from the long trip cramped up in the cargo hold. She had sat there, cold and afraid she wouldn't find her prince once the ship landed.

She tried to make her way towards the ships but a group of men came past, making her shrink back into the shadows. There were too many people here… and nothing to hide behind.

The ship the Prince had got on was starting to leave. Wolfwrath caught sight of the number on its side.

8

_The thing with the two circles… the thing with the two circles… _she repeated to herself, straining to remember it.

That ship was the only one that would take her to the Prince. If she forgot which one it was… she'd never find him again. She had to remember!

_Prince… I'm coming…_

* * *

The ride was short, but lonely. Meta sat in the darkness, thinking just how alone he was now. But did he join just to be with Yamikage? No… he came for his own honor and to save his kind, and now after the bet with Nightmare, to be free.

The ship finally landed after an hour and Meta was left on his own to explore the base. The sun was still up here, although setting, and it cast an orange glow on the rows of barrack houses. He left the main road and instead walked behind the buildings, using his demonbeast senses to probe each one. There was not a sign of Star Warriors anywhere here, and he relaxed a little and came back on to the road.

Barrack Nineteen. That was this one in front of him.

Feeling his doubts resolved, he entered.

No one noticed him as he came in and Meta looked around for an empty cot. Everyone was at some group, playing cards or talking. He suddenly wondered if he'd be even able to become a part of a group too; the groups seemed so tightly knit. Then, someone said,

"Hey, look. A new guy."

Every eye moved on to Meta although most of the talk between the men continued. The speaker was a green Popstarian with a red Mohawk combed to perfection. He walked up to Meta and looked him over.

"Who're you? You're pretty late if you're supposed to be in second year. Did you _just_ get moved up?"

He shoved Meta back a step, smirking as he watched Meta puzzle over what to do. A challenge. He wondered if he was supposed to just push him back and tell him to leave him alone, or would that earn him an enemy? Here, he could be anyone he wanted to be. He could be a new someone…

A moment later, Meta pushed the green Popstarian off of him with a single hand, harder than he intended. The man fell on the floor, looking up at him in surprise. Then, the room burst out laughing.

"Haha, Falspar. New guy's not a pushover!"

Falspar got off the floor, waving his hands innocently at Meta before casting a frustrated glance at the others.

"Hey, no need to angry. Just… doing Barrack Nineteen's little sign of welcome. Heh heh…"

_An odd way to welcome someone, especially when you didn't expect me to push you back…_

One of the bigger men came up to Meta and gave him a good slap on the back.

"Just ignore Falspar there. He only means to kid around. So who are you anyway?"

"Meta." He finally answered.

Falspar whistled.

"That is one hell of an accent. You must be a chick magnet… but of course, it's no match for my hair. Every girl here secretly adores it."

"Falspar, no girl here would go out with you. They'd rather date among themselves."

The men guffawed louder and soon, everyone was back to minding their own business. Meta smiled a little, feeling better. Maybe he could settle here…

"Come sit with us." He heard someone say.

He came up to a purple Popstarian and a light blue one who had bunks at the end of the barrack. The purple one snapped his finger in annoyance at Falspar.

"You can quit harassing people, Falspar. And get your stuff off his bed too. A little respect, please."

Falspar went ahead to do so while the purple one held out a hand to Meta.

"Name's Dragato. And this is Nonsurat."

The light blue Popstarian gave a small wave without saying a single word.

"I apologize you had the… misfortune to meet Falspar… _and_ share a bunk with him. Falspar's a nice guy though, so please forgive him. Enough about him. What about you? Where in Popstar did you come from?"

"Never lived there. Uh, you ever heard of Icronth?"

Both of them shook their heads.

"Small planet I guess?"

"Moon, actually."

"Hmm… well, everyone here probably wants to know why you were moved up now when we were all moved up months ago."

"Well, I signed up and they put me into this regi—"

"What? You're new?" Dragato gasped. "Why would they put you in second year?"

"I really don't know…"

"That's quite a mess… but they'll probably take care of it some time soon. Hate to say it, but I guess we're only going to see you for a bit."

Meta nodded, knowing it to be true, but just then, Falspar came up from behind.

"Hey, uh, Meta? You want to check out the base?" He asked. "I'll take you on a tour here. And we'll be done just in time for dinner!"

Meta silently left Dragato and Nonsurat and followed Falspar all around the base, listening to him describe all the buildings and people in surprisingly good detail. The base had three regiments at all times, usually a mix of experience. Right now it was second year, fourth year, and the elite regiment. Right now, the fourth year regiment was an all-woman one and Falspar seemed to know just about everyone of them. As Meta listened more, he grew a little tired, but he really needed to know as much as he could about the base… although something more than just women and food would have been better.

"Letta, that's one of the cooks, serves slightly more than Sven. Have to count out where you are line. Also, there's a spot behind the kitchen where you can hear everything that's being said in the corner, even if it's in whispers. That's how I know what's being served and some of the rumors going around the GSA. It's kind of cool and you wouldn't believe…"

_Are we almost done? _Meta thought. Falspar didn't seem like a bad person at all… just annoying.

A horn blew and Falspar perked up.

"Hey, that's the dinner call. I don't want to be late."

They came in with a mass of soldiers and Falspar immediately found some of his friends and started to joke around with them, leaving Meta to take a look at all the people here at the base. Even more so than the barrack, he could see the variety of races all here. It was awe-inspiring to see how many had been affected by the war and were willing to fight.

Then, the entire room fell silent while Falspar continued on talking, still unaware of the change until it was too late. Meta felt his blood suddenly go hot and he barely turned around in time to see the fist that knocked Falspar to the floor. He looked up to see the magenta Popstarian. That power that radiated from him... a Star Warrior… a Star Warrior, right here in front of him less than two feet away… but the Star Warrior walked right past him! The man went straight for Falspar, too occupied at that moment to notice the demonbeast standing there in the room.

"Falspar. I can't believe I'm lowering myself to go teach a soldier a lesson, but I'm dearly sick of your silly antics. I heard you call me a prancing peacock the other day."

Meta watched Falspar sit up with a dumb look on his face and he clutched his head, laughing a little.

"Oh, heh heh… They're just jokes… nothing to get all defensive abou—."

Falspar squeaked as the Star Warrior shook him.

"Ah, yes, but one joke too many. You're going to get it this time, Falspar. I hope the nurses in the infirmary will be able to stitch up your face back together once I'm through with you."

Then he struck Falspar square in the face and sent him flying back into a table full of trays. Meta was stunned that all the men in the mess hall were watching, but none of them were really doing anything to help. A few of them came to up to Star Warrior and one of them put a hand on his shoulder and said,

"Hey, Duke. It's Falspar, alright? Just let him be…"

The Star Warrior laughed coldly.

"No, because it's very apparent to me that I'm going to have to teach him a lesson his mother failed to do. You respect those with higher authority." He said, taking off his cape.

Meta just stared. The Star Warrior had white, feathery wings. He was distracted until he heard Falspar cry out again.

What kind of Star Warrior was this to be hurting someone like this? Meta couldn't believe how powerful he was. Even by Star Warrior standards, it was incredible strength. Falspar gasped as the man pummeled him again.

Was he really going to just watch Falspar, even if he was the idiotic type, get beaten up like this? To interfere would grab that Star Warrior's attention, and Meta couldn't afford to lose his bet to Nightmare if he was found out. He held his breath as the green Popstarian lifted up his mask a little. The Star Warrior had punched him hard enough for blood. Red dripped from the corner of Falspar's mouth.

"Duke, I didn't mean anything by it. Look, I'm sorry. Just… just—"

The Star Warrior grabbed Falspar by his hair and knocked his head against the floor. That was it. Meta decided it was too much.

He ran in front of Falspar and turned, intending to catch the next blow. Maybe his strength as a demonbeast could match this Star Warrior's and stop him. The Star Warrior was in mid-punch when Meta slid in front of him and grabbed hold of his fist.

But when their hands touched, their blood suddenly reacted to the other. Both of them looked up at each, Star Warrior blood and demonbeast blood hissing violently. And then, a terrible thought ran though his mind.

_He knows._

The first time, Meta had met a Star Warrior, the same had happened, except this time, something had suddenly awakened in him. Meta was too surprised to hold ground and instead, the blow threw him into Falspar. The Star Warrior gripped his wrist, staring at him in shock.

"… who… who are you?" He demanded. "You some friend of Falspar's? Do yourself a favor and don't bother trying to help him."

The Star Warrior stormed off, leaving everyone in the room just as stunned.

"… thanks, man…" Falspar murmured in awe before passing out.

* * *

Meta sat at Falspar's bedside after the green Popstarian was wheeled back in from the emergency room. He himself wasn't as badly hurt although the doctors insisted he wait there in the medical wing. Meta had refused to allow them to examine him, saying he was fine (which he was), but also to keep their x-rays from catching a picture of his wings hiding under his cape. This place already was becoming too dangerous… all of it just to help the GSA's biggest idiot.

He slowly let out his breath. Nightmare must be laughing at him. He'd lose before one month was up… maybe a week if that Star Warrior came back to hunt Meta down. How come the Star Warrior had just left? Didn't he realize Meta was a demonbeast? He was so confused…

There was a window in the room and he got up to stand in front of it. It was too dark outside to see anything. How long was this game going to last? Maybe it was just a matter of days before he'd be standing before his father again. What was the point of giving up a chance to live his own life for someone like Falspar?

"Hey… Meta?"

He turned to Falspar who was just waking up.

"Am I in the infirmary?" He coughed.

Meta nodded and sat back down again as Falspar sat up a little and took the icepack from one of the doctors who left the room afterwards. The green Popstarian pressed the pack to the side of his head where Meta could see the stitches. That was why it was worth it: no one should have gotten beat up like that.

"Who the hell was that? And why was he so mad at you?" Meta asked, deciding that if anything, he was going to hear the whole story.

Falspar jerked upright, getting up a little too soon and gasped out in pain. He stared at him in complete shock as he lowered the ice pack.

"You serious? You don't know the Duke? Duke Galacta? Heck, he's known just about everywhere. Where _did_ you come from?"

"Well… I lived in an isolated place all my life…" Meta said, feeling slightly offended.

Falspar settled back down against the pillow, shaking his head as much as he could without pain.

"Man… _everyone_ knows Popstar's Duke. Richest guy you ever lay eyes on. He's a Star Warrior too, did you know that?"

_Yeah, I do. I felt it._ Meta thought to himself. _But… there's something else…_

"But what about his wings?"

"Runs in his family. Huh. Wouldn't it be nice for the entire world to regard you as some angel from heaven?" Falspar sighed, throwing his arms up.

_And yet my wings make the world regard me as the devil…_

"… and look at what he did to me! You call that something an ANGEL would do? God, he freaking smashed my skull!"

"But why do people just let him do that? People were just watching!"

Falspar scoffed.

"Yeah, and just who's going to be the one to kick him out? But dude, Meta! You _broke_ his wrist! That's amazing, I mean, no one would dare do that to him or even have the strength to do that, that guy's strong. Heck, he must be _so_ pissed at you right now!"

**X—X—X**

**Author Note:** Mm… Galacta Knight. I think it's a little too easy to overdo his personality, judging by the way I did it in my first story. I know this chapter barely got a glimpse of him, but he won't be making that frequent of an appearance until later.

Looks like Meta got his mask. :3

I think this chapter marks where everything's going to be a lot more tricky for me. I had a clear idea for everything up to the GSA enlisting point, for when characters should come in, when which event should happen, etc, etc. GSA… still a blur for me. I spent most of my long break trying to order things. I think I should be okay for the next few chapters, but it's very possible I might have to go back

Please review!


	8. Chapter VIII: Soldier

**Author Note: **I could say anything here and it wouldn't matter. Believe me. So… I'll say hi. C:

**X—X—X**

**-Chapter VIII: Soldier-**

_Log 2741_

_Quadrant 26-B Base no. 181_

_Mekkai's gotten a lot worse. At this rate, it can't be won. The War Council doesn't have any agreement on it and we're losing too many men. Even the Star Warrior regiments can't break the NME lines. I'd rather the GSA abandon Mekkai and take defense on Flora Star and Hot Beat. We've won so many battles, but never the critical ones. _

_As long as my men aren't in Mekkai, I won't say anything (I can't). _

… _why isn't headquarters replying to any of my notes? Why hasn't Arty answered?_

* * *

Sometime before the bugles sounded, Meta kept falling in and out of sleep. He couldn't dream. He felt them slip away from his memory every time he reached for them. Then sound exploded in his head and he sat up with a start. He blinked back the light as the men around him groaned and got up out of their bunks. Meta watched them for a moment, and then looked up at the empty top bunk. Falspar hadn't returned. He caught Dragato's troubled look across the barrack before the purple Popstarian looked away and made his bed.

Meta lifted up the sheets and smoothened it out over the bed. The mattress looked mangled from fighting with his wings all night. They ached from being tied up tightly under his cape, and crushed under him. He used to sleep on his chest and let his wings spread out. He missed that a lot.

The men left the barracks through the back sliding door to join the large procession toward the showers. Meta slipped away from the group and stood in the shadows of the barracks. He couldn't even take a shower in comfort without raising hell taking off his cape. Instead, he contended with washing his face from the faucet in the back.

His life here was going to be all dodging and evading, anything to keep his identity secret.

But… no Star Warriors. The night before, all the Star Warriors in camp, including the Duke, had finished their base evaluations and left. There were no Star Warriors in camp now. He had more confidence now.

Meta stared ahead at the road. Men were already finishing their showers and were in full armor. They lined up on the side of the road, facing the other barracks' men. He joined them just as Dragato and Nonsurat got into line next to him.

"Man, you're fast…" Dragato said, still combing out his hair into a ponytail. "When Cosmos comes by, make sure you're saluting. He's got… sharp eyes. Address him as Sir before you speak, and don't talk back. Ever."

Meta raised his hand over his forehead and stood up straight, trying hard not to lean forward too far to take his first glance at the regiment leader.

Kit Cosmos was a dust-colored, furry ball with a black mustache and eyebrows furrowed into a permanent scowl. His dark eyes flicked from one soldier to the next as he drove in a large army jeep. He approached. Meta felt sweat roll down his back, teasing the shape of his wings pressed against it.

Cosmos drove on, inspecting Nonsurat and Dragato… then laid his dark eyes on him. The jeep came to a full stop, right in front on the road.

"And who are you, lad? Name?"

"Meta… Sir."

"Speak up!"

"META. Sir."

"You in the wrong camp? I don't have any Metas in my regiment."

"Sir, He's new! The transfer station sent him-" Dragato began.

"Let him speak for himself," Cosmos growled, before taking out a notepad and flipping through it.

He paged through the notes. Meta couldn't help but stare at Cosmo's wild mustache, which bristled like a living animal.

"I didn't get any note that there was going to be a NEW GUY in THIS regiment. You sure, lad?"

"They sent me here."

"Why first year? This is a second year regiment."

"I don't know, Sir."

"Where's your uniform?"

"They didn't give me any."

"Hmph. You're training with us this week, before I get you booted to the right camp. Come find me after training today. I'll get you your armor."

The sergeant turned to check on the rest of the men when Falspar suddenly appeared beside Dragato. He still wore bandages over his head.

"What?! You didn't get kicked out?"

"No. Cosmos just said to get the hell out of his office." Falspar answered, giving a wide grin.

"There's no way you got off scot-free..."

"Well... yeah... he put me on kitchen duty for the rest of the time I stay in the regiment..."

Cosmos finished his inspection before he turned around to face the entire street of soldiers.

"Get moving men. Two laps around the base."

The lines began moving forward without the slightest of disruption to their alignment. They jogged down the dirt road and followed the perimeter around the base. It would have been a nice run, if only Meta wasn't so distracted by the wind lifting the end of his cape.

They reached the camp center when Kit Cosmos shouted out,

"Why are there so many laggers?! Pick up the pace, we're not sleeping here!"

They were just passing the starship hangar when Nonsurat turned his eyes back to look at Meta.

"Have you ever killed a demonbeast before, Meta?" He asked, speaking for the first time since Meta's arrival.

Meta opened his mouth to answer when his voice caught in his throat unexpectedly. It was now that he realized just how sharp Nonsurat's gaze was.

"Of course."

Nonsurat gave a thoughtful look, but didn't say anything more.

The men returned to the barracks, went back in and picked up their water tins before heading out toward the open field outside the gates. Meta took the time to check on the knots holding down his wings before he left.

The sun was visible in the sky now. The soldiers organized themselves in the field according to barrack. Kit Cosmos waited for the regiment to be completely silent before he gave out orders.

"Fifty pushups."

In union, every man dropped to the grass, got into position, and began the workout set. Meta followed them, carefully aligning his hands directly below him and keeping an eye for Cosmos, who patrolled the lines.

"Aoel! Rump down!"

"Trent! You too!"

"You three over there! Slow down!"

He continued pacing, calling out more and more men. He carried a stick to correct their postures, giving the soldiers a light tap on the shoulders or hands. Cosmos stopped them before they even got half way.

"Alright, ALRIGHT! Everyone stop. We're doing these over again on my count. I don't want to see any man speeding through this."

The men groaned.

"UP."

Every man went up.

"DOWN."

Every man went down.

The morning wore on and the sun continued to climb the sky. Cosmos had the men run another quick lap, stretch, do another fifty pushups, and several more sets. Finally, when it was over, Cosmos approached Meta on his jeep.

"Lad, hop on. I'll drive us to the armory and we'll get you fitted in time for lunch break."

Meta grudgingly did so, taking a seat on the back of the jeep and watched the dust clouds blow past. They pulled up to a small building at the center of camp and Cosmos got out to unlock the door. The armory's walls were packed with every type of armor imaginable and in assorted sizes ranging from sizes even smaller than Meta to boulder-sized ones. Cosmos had him wait while he went to look for a measuring tape. He returned.

"You already have a mask, a well made one at that. Where did you get it?"

"Someone from home."

"Hmph. Good craftsmanship. I suppose we'll just need to get you shoulder plates, maybe even hand guards."

Meta lifted up his arms and Cosmos measured them. He walked into the back of the storehouse and dug through the crates, while whistling some tune. He took his time check each and every one to the point that Meta was losing his patience. The sergeant returned with two light gray shoulder plates with gold rims.

"Try these on."

Meta irritably strapped them on and rolled his shoulder back. They fitted fine. He looked at his now complete soldier image in the mirror. He couldn't help but feel a bit proud.

"This isn't a fashion show, lad. Do they fit?"

"They're good, Sir." He grumbled.

"Speak up! Can't hear when you're muttering."

"They're FINE, Sir."

Cosmos' mustache twitched, then he said,

"Hmph, you're excused."

Meta began walking toward the door when Cosmos suddenly asked one last question.

"Were you the one who broke the Duke's wrist? I keep hearing the men talk about it."

"Yes, Sir." Meta answered, wondering if he wasn't going to get in trouble.

Cosmos' expression was difficult to read as he stared out in open air.

"Huh, maybe you should think about breaking the other and sending him home for a month… would do the GSA good."

* * *

After break, they returned to the field to finish training with one last part. Meta was not in the least bit excited. Cosmos had set out several bins of wooden swords.

"Get to it. Find a partner and practice a little. Free training time."

Meta didn't look for anyone. He waited, expecting Falspar to come tap on his shoulder. He never did. Falspar had already paired up with a guy from Barrack Twenty One.

"Sir? I don't have-"

"Of course you do. You'll spar with me."

Meta instantly hated the curt reply. Cosmos had been on his back all day, finding faults in everything he did. It was the hottest time of the day. The heat exhausted him and now Cosmos was going to make a fool of him again.

Cosmos already had a wooden sword in hand and was tapping it impatiently in the grass. Meta walked over and took the first sword he found in the bin. He stood facing the sergeant. If there was anyone who was going to bar him from hiding safely into the GSA besides the Star Warriors, it was going to be Cosmos with his relentless frown and gaze.

"Anytime, lad."

Meta took the bait. He charged and threw his weight into his sword swing. Cosmos counter struck, surprising Meta. He had expected him to move out of the way, not meet him head on. They locked swords. Meta was stronger and younger though, and he forced Cosmos back a few steps. He moved to slash again when Cosmos yet again counter struck and threw several jabs at Meta. He dodged.

_He's so fast! How in the world…_

Cosmos' rhythm was unbelievably quick. Meta had trouble just to keep up. The demonbeast prince hurled an overhead strike only to be thrown off. He landed on his back and rolled on to his feet. The commotion drew the attention of the other men. They stopped their sparring practice to watch him fight Cosmos. Meta tried to ignore them and he met Cosmos' sword again and again. The wood had little ring to it when it clashed, nothing like the grind of real metal. Instead, all to be heard was the heavy _thunk_ and grunts between him and Cosmos.

He tried a different method and used his strength to close the swords in on Cosmos.

"You're putting too much weight into it, lad. Doesn't take much to toss you."

The sergeant hooked his sword under Meta's and in seconds, disarmed him. Meta gasped as the sword was knocked out of his hand. He watched it land into the grass when Cosmos pointed to it.

"Pick it up, lad. I'm not through with you."

Meta hesitated, and then got up to go get it when Cosmos nailed him squarely in the shoulder with a single blow.

"Of course, not every opponent will just let you get back up and try again."

He slashed at him again, and Meta was on the run.

Cosmos didn't even give him a chance to stand. He moved lightning fast. Each stroke of the sword was inches away from Meta's face. He locked his eyes on his fallen sword. There couldn't be any other reason: Cosmos was testing him, and he was going full out. The sergeant stood between him and his sword. Both were still now, watching each other's movements.

Cosmos' mustache twitched. Meta made his move.

He feinted right, then twisted out of the way of Cosmos' attack and in a single motion, grabbed his sword and struck back. Meta thought it would have ended the duel. He had aimed for the hilt, but Cosmos was ready for him.

Meta was dazed.

"Get up." Cosmos' ordered.

Meta couldn't focus. The men surrounding them, watching was too much. He didn't have the energy left to fight. Distracted by the shouts around him, Meta couldn't block Cosmos from dealing his final blow. Meta's sword cracked in his hand. It was over.

The men cheered. Cosmos grinned.

"That'll keep your mouths shut. I don't want to hear any man say I can't spar no more."

Meta was forced to stand back up, wipe the dirt from his mask and body, and admit defeat.

* * *

Yamikage stared at the storm-damaged camp. Rain fell hard, battering the wrecked roof shingles and the roads swirled with murky water. Nothing looked dry for miles. He was at the final step down the ramp of the starship and he looked down at his twisted reflection in a puddle. His face was uncertain.

"Yamikage! This way!" Yoshiro called.

He followed the old ninja to the cover of the overhang above the dirt road. No one walked down the center of the street. The people watched the newcomer from the screen doors and windows. Many weren't soldiers for the GSA's ninja regiment, but haggardly women and children. And none of them were from his home clan.

Yoshiro caught him looking at the families.

"We're a bit different than the rest of the GSA. The rest of the regiments only have soldiers, but we have our families with us to rebuild our people. This is our new home planet."

"Are there any from my clan?"

"Yes, although not many." He answered before his voice softened. "We know that your clan was one of the hardest hit when the demonbeasts came."

They passed by alleyways filled with lines of damp sheets and clothes that vainly hung there to dry. Yamikage watched a group of children playing with sticks steering a boat in the puddles. But what he saw most was the occasional ninja soldier sitting up on the rooftops. Their faces were sullen, defeated, honor less…

They reached a building with a few conjoined rooms surround a small courtyard. Yoshiro opened the sliding screen door and they took off their wood sandals.

Inside, it was only slightly warmer. Yamikage found a group of ninja with familiar dress and markings on their hands. They were the remnants of his clan, this small roomful. He didn't recognize any of them.

They made room for him and Yoshiro to sit at the table with them. Yamikage ended up sitting next to a girl around his age, who smiled at him. He didn't return the glance.

"This is Yamikage," Yoshiro introduced.

They passed them bowls of soup. Yamikage was almost surprised that he food actually looked like food, not rainwater and slop from outside. But he still didn't eat very much. He stirred its contents, barely listening to the quiet conversation over dinner.

After, Yamikage sat down in the doorframe looking out into the flowerless, treeless courtyard. Except for a small shrine, some rock sculptures, and an overflowing pond, there was little to nothing else. The girl followed him.

"How come you're trying to ignore me?" She whined annoyingly.

He didn't answer.

"I'm Mitsuya. And I should have you know that we're the only ones our age in our clan and-"

"Look, I'm not your future husband."

"Go ahead and act all cool."

"I will."

A pleasurable silence, then,

"Don't you talk much at all?"

He snorted.

"Fine, tell me this: why are we all here on this dump?"

"That's just the way things are."

"The GSA can't just put us here."

"Well, they said we didn't support them at the start of the war, we attacked them, now we have to live here."

"Why are there samurai here? I saw some, coming to this planet. They're our mortal enemies."

"They don't have anywhere else either. The emperor is dead. There's not very many of them anyways. They don't mind us much."

So even the samurai were shattered. He remembered that they used to wear the brightest of colors and best of armor. Here, they wore little of their dead emperor's colors.

"I wouldn't have joined the GSA if I knew this was the way our people have become. I would have been better off in the middle of nowhere than here."

"Don't you still believe in fighting NME?" She asked, surprised.

He paused for a moment, then answered,

"Yes, but I just didn't expect this to be the remains of… everything… there's nothing left."

Mitsuya sat down beside him.

"Please don't be like the all those men up on the roofs… it's a lonely place…"

* * *

The men in the barrack deeply snored and muttered to themselves in their sleep. Meta stared up at the top bunk, waiting. He couldn't see as well as he used to in the dark, he noticed. So was his ability to fly degrading from lack of use. But his senses never dulled.

He waited for even the lightest of sleeps to drift off before he quietly got up and slipped out the back door. Or so he thought. As he left, Nonsurat's eyes opened and he watched Meta leave without raising his head. Then he closed his eyes again.

The night air was cool. For the past months now in the GSA, he had trained during the day with the others and at night alone, usually to exercise his wings a little when the rest of the camp was a sleep. As long as he flew out of from the watchtower, he could enjoy some time to himself. But he hadn't come out for that tonight.

Following the shadows between the barracks, he found the locked doors to the weight room at the far end of camp. Meta concentrated on his senses, feeling for the presence of anyone possibly watching him. There was no one. Then he bent the gears inside the door lock to his will and heard it click open.

With the training room light on, the racks of different size and mass weight bars illuminated. He found his set and heaved the disks off their shelves and secured them on to the bar over the bench. He laid down and took a good handful of sugar from the bag he had brought. Kamira had packed it for him in his pack.

Along with everything happening in his life, _he had just realized he hadn't had a blood lust during his entire time here in the GSA. _

He took another bite of sugar. He didn't know what was stopping it...

Slowly, he positioned himself, took the bar off its hook and started a new workout session.

Cosmos had just announced that they were going to fight in what would be Meta's first battle just a week from now.

He raised the weight back up, struggling to keep his arms steady.

He would be fighting for the GSA. Fighting against his own people. But that was the right thing to do, wasn't it? The GSA stood for the universe's freedom, when others surrendered to the grips of darkness. He admired that. That was the only thing keeping him here, trying so hard everyday.

It wasn't fair that he was tossed into a second year regiment. But neither was it fair that he was a demonbeast and had spent his whole life trying to not be one.

He lowered the weight. Despite his weak self-convincing, he still couldn't decide.

**X—X—X**

**Author Note: **Yamikage's storyline has characters and names thrown about that have little importance to the story. You can forget them. I think it'd be just too bland to not have a single character name mentioned at all.

And just as a quick shout out to the anonymous reviewers, thank you all for your support! This story has received the most anonymous reviewers, and I can't reply individually to you all, but I'd like to thank you all for your great feedback!

Please review!


	9. Chapter IX: The GSA Left Us

**Author Note: **It's taken this story a while to get to any real action. (Oh, haha. Besides the year-long hiatus from updating the story, pardon me). This is Meta's first battle.

Even though I haven't been uploading at all for so long, I've actually have come to check out new stuff in the community pretty regularly. I never completely disappeared. I'll be updating my profile some time soon just to fill you guys in on my life. I'm applying for colleges now. Seems like the time's gone by so fast.

**X—X—X**

**-Chapter IX: "The GSA Left Us"-**

Alone that night in his office, Kit Cosmos turned on his desk panel and waited for it to start up. Connections were slow. The evening was terribly hot, but he kept the window shut. He tipped his head to look outside at the small glow of light by the mess hall. There was a large group of men unable to stand the heat in the barracks and now were outside playing cards. He saw Falspar out there along with the new soldier, Meta, who persisted to wear his thick cape wrapped around him.

His own body was covered in fur, making the heat even more unbearable, but he kept the window shut to keep the squadron leader meeting private.

Finally, the holographic panel appeared and several video feeds displayed, showing the other squadron leaders looking back at him. They stopped their conversation to welcome him in.

"Kit's here… who else are we waiting for?" Sir Regiz asked, giving Kit Cosmos a nod.

"Tally and Melvan… at least the only ones who we're expecting." Lady Lionne answered.

"Tally was injured pretty bad out on Hotbeat." Someone else said. "Last I heard she's still recovering."

"How?"

"Testing explosives. I don't know the details."

"Is Arthur going to meet with us?" Kit Cosmos said more irritably than he intended, finally deciding to cut in.

"I don't think so. He's been busy lately…" Sir Regiz lowered his voice. "Not sure if its just rumors, but I've heard that he hasn't been faring too well… I'm sorry Kit. I know you two are good frie-"

"Were. Were good friends. I'm not the only one he's refused to talk to anymore."

Sir Regiz was about to answer when another screen appeared at center, pushing the rest off to the sides. Sir Hawkthorne, one the generals, was the one who reported the high command's orders down to the regiments. Lately though, everything he had to report was not good news.

"Good evening everyone. I need to ask if you are all in secured areas?"

"Everything's shut closed." Kit Cosmos said, looking again at the closed window and door, while the others added in their own confirmations.

"Mm. Alright. Listen up."

"This is about Mekkai, isn't it?" Lady Lionne asked.

"Unfortunately yes. The GSA's been driven back another parallel. We have nearly all the higher regiments there just to hold back NME forces. We commanding officers are afraid to drag lesser experienced regiments there, but it's come to that."

"It's already a lost battle. The capitol is too hard to take back. We're losing too many men there." Sir Regiz said. "We have to abandon Mekkai."

"It's too important to lose. Losing Mekkai will be the lost of all those planets in that area… Hot Beat… Ripple Star… Popstar… we cannot allow NME to gain a permanent foothold there."

"What about the Star Warrior regiments? Where are they? We're going to get massive amount of deserters. Just wait. Mekkai's not going to sit well with them." Sir Regiz growled.

"On the front lines holding NME forces back. The Star Warriors too are having great difficulty there. There's no regiment left to call on." Sir Hawkthorne answered blandly. "As for deserters. You catch them you punish them. If you need to, remind your regiments that they're all on four-year contracts. We will NOT allow for any deserters."

No one spoke. Sir Hawkthorne continued.

"Regiz and Kit, your regiments will join the front lines. We'll have them replace Regiments Thirty and Twenty Six two weeks from now. I will call you all if anymore of your regiments are needed. I will see you on Mekkai, you two. Get your regiments ready."

_Mekkai? What am I going to tell the men? … is it better to wait? But… it has to be wrong to hold it back from them… especially when it's Mekkai… _

Anything but hell itself.

* * *

_This can't be my people…_

_Where is their honor? Why do they persist to like this? This wasn't how I dreamed my brethren would be like…_

Yamikage opened his eyes, feeling more restless than he did before he started meditating. He listened to the rain around him, breathing slowly. The peace couldn't suppress the disbelief and anger in his heart. It despaired him to look at the poorly constructed buildings and shrines made from the oddest materials supplied from the barren planet and GSA.

Breaking meditation only made him want to close his eyes again.

Standing up, Yamikage stretched and picked up his shurikens and dagger off the shrine floor. Meta's dagger. The blade's edge had a dent from being thrown so many times during their games as children. He only took a moment longer to contemplate before he tossed it in the air a few times and then nailed a flower from a bush across the courtyard. He had appreciated Meta as a close friend. Now separated and on their own paths, however, their friendship had little meaning to hold on to and agonize over. He was a loner at heart.

He left the shrine gardens to return to slinking along the shadows of the main road. On the doorsteps of the run-down homes was a small group of children throwing wooden shurikens, play versions of the deadly weapons they would one day learn to use. Pots and pans sat on the street, collecting drinking water. Rain was relentless on this planet. It swirled between the broken up stones in the road, turning brown as it mixed with mud. His people were a proud race in his memory. Where had their honor gone?

The ninja finally reached the main building, a small pagoda at the center of the town. GSA flags were draped over the sides, soaked from the rain. He slid open the screen door and took off his wood sandals before quietly entering. None of the lanterns were lit, but someone was here. He hoped Yoshiro was here and available to ask a few questions to. He followed the two voices at the end of the hall and paused at the doorframe, just out of the lantern light.

"… No, Yoshiro. This cannot be forgiven. I've seen the same for countless more. Adro begged the GSA to help save its people. There were troops stationed within the sector. There was no excuse not to help them."

"Calm yourself, Takashi… I know it's upsetting, but it is outside of our affairs. And I know that the GSA's attentions have been directed toward Mekkai. It's already become worrying how many have been lost to the battle there. We ourselves have lost our brethren there."

A fist slammed on the table.

"Must I remind you, that this is the very same incident that happened to our home planet?! The GSA doomed our people by not coming to our aid and watched our people perish when we too sent for help!"

"Takashi—"

"Do you know why the GSA didn't help Adro or us in our time of need? Do you know WHY?! If the planet can't offer a strategic location or resources, it's forgotten!"

"You're wrong, Takashi! You're taking this too far. The GSA couldn't reach us in time that night. Only a small force was able to stand at our side when the demonbeasts came. Those soldiers died alongside our people. Do not forget that."

"_They hate our kind_, Yoshiro. You cannot deny that. You've seen it yourself. They hate our people, our culture, our practices… that's why they keep us here on this horrid planet outside of the regular troops."

"They wished to allow us to keep our traditions and way of life. Unlike the regular troops, we have families here to rebuild a new life here. Let your anger go."

There was a long silence. Yamikage clung to their words.

"I'm trying to, Yoshiro. I really am. But I refuse to remain silent about this. I'm going to send another message to headquarters. Whether or not they acknowledge it and reply to it, they will read it."

"Please be patient. We just have to wait and see what happens in the next couple of weeks. The GSA has already alerted that we'll be called out to assist in a few battles… let us not worry our brothers though… keep this to ourselves."

Yamikage might never have snapped the way he did and set upon a fatal path for his brothers if only Takashi had never uttered the last few words.

"… the GSA left us in our time of need… Sir Arthur left us."

* * *

The regiment arrived on Halfpoint Star under the escort of several other large GSA warships.

Meta stared hopelessly out the window.

_What am I supposed to do? I'm going in there and I have to face my own people… I have to kill them. That can't be the right thing to do… but… I'm fighting on the GSA side… I know they're fighting for righteousness._

The camp bustled with soldiers. All of Cosmos' regiment was given a specified lot in the tent grounds. They settled in and Meta looked around at the other soldiers. Most were sitting around, playing cards, or participating in some other recreational activity.

"Half the time, we don't even get a chance to fight at all. Most of the battle were right here in camp, doing whatever." Falspar said when asked about it.

But the regiment was called out and joined with several more; they stood at the edge of the field a good distance away from the camp. The demonbeasts were on their way, word got out. So they waited.

Then finally, the scouts spotted them. The demonbeast hordes appeared over the horizon line, looming shadows slowly marching.

Meta froze.

Lined in front was a long chain of GSA soldiers stripped of their armor and weapons and shackled. The demonbeasts behind them pushed them forward until Meta could see the details of the soldier's somber faces. The line was halted. Both sides waited. Then, a horn was blown and the demonbeasts howled, pouncing on their prisoners. Dying screams filled the air as the demonbeasts fought each other to tear at the prisoners. Meta watched several of them seize one prisoner and feast. Another tore the head off a woman soldier while others quickly lapped up the blood around her headless body.

"Bloody demonbeasts. I'm going to kill 'em! Going to kill ALL of 'em!" Someone growled from behind Meta.

"I'll send the lot to hell!"

Cosmos appeared at the front of the regiment just as all the other regiment leaders addressed their own men. Meta's eyes followed the sergeant.

His speech was short.

"Men, let us avenge their deaths! Today! This hour! We will NOT lose this battle! You will NOT back down because standing at your sides are your **BROTHERS**. It doesn't matter what **RACE** you are. It doesn't matter **WHO** you were. You will NOT back down because these men standing at your sides are your **BROTHERS** fighting for **JUSTICE**."

Cosmos faced every one of them.

"What are we fighting for?" He barked.

"JUSTICE."

Meta could hardly hear the bugles sound when they blew like sirens. The GSA roared and broke the line into a full charge. Even more thunderous was the answering call from the NME lines. The demonbeasts howled almost a single, united war cry that shook the ground and rung in the GSA soldier's ears.

He ran, following the herd he could hardly keep up with. The first men were over the barbed wire fence dividing the field when the earth erupted from under their feet. Gunshots fired, mowing down the next men. Meta dodged a body that fell from the blast, whipping his head around with each shot and cry. A bullet struck his shoulder plate and he felt the impact against the metal. He held on to his sword tightly, unsure of where to step and who to focus on. Demonbeasts were upon them now.

The gunshots and explosions unnerved him. Everywhere he stepped, the ground shook. He was pushed out of the way as a soldier leapt forward to slice the head off a demonbeast. Several men behind him screamed as they burned to a dragon demonbeast's fiery breath. Meta leapt out of the way, just feeling how hot it was.

The battle was a mess of soldiers and demonbeasts dying all around him. He didn't know where to go. His heart pounded in his chest.

A war elephant charged through the battle, driven by demonbeasts holding the reins. Meta ran, narrowly avoiding getting trampled. The elephant demonbeast speared several soldiers, including a fellow demonbeast with its tusks. Then it swung its trunk and took out several more. He watched the soldiers be thrown several meters away.

He was too dizzy to see anything. His vision blackened, then regained a little. He was on the ground again. He couldn't stand…

"META!"

Someone shouted his name. He couldn't respond or even register anything. Someone grabbed him by the arms and dragged him away from the explosions. He was too numb to think or feel the sharp rocks against his back as he was pulled out of the battle zone. Back in the GSA camp, he was taken into a medical tent and helped on to a cot. For several minutes he stared up at the overhead lantern, breathing.

He regained his composure, and looked up at Nonsurat who was sitting on a chair by him.

"What… happened? Was I shot?!"

"You fainted. I think it was too much at once, all that chaos out there."

Stunned, Meta realized that he had barely anything worse than some cuts and a bruise. He felt ashamed.

A pale popstarian nurse with light pink hair entered wheeling in a cot with a soldier missing an arm and leg. Meta cringed at the smell of blood. She came back, looked him over and said,

"… y… you barely even h… h… have a scratch!"

"Clara. Just leave the man alone. It's just a case of shock." One of the other medics called, bringing in an armful of supplies.

She stood there, and then pulled an X-ray screen over Meta. No internal injuries. The nurse paused for a moment longer, squinting at something on the screen. The soldier behind the curtain separating him and Meta cried in pain, making her and several of the other nurses rush over.

He

_Had she seen the bones in his wings?_

Meta sat there when Nonsurat handed him a glass of water. He took it gratefully. His throat was parched and his stomach unsettled.

"You should have just left me alone. I was just fine."

"Never leave comrades behind. First rule of the soldier code. Anyway, I got hit in the arm before I went and got you. You can't fight dazed like that, you're only going to get trampled or worse." The blue Popstarian replied. "… Battle shock's not uncommon. You're new, but a lot of experienced soldiers still get it."

Another medic came back and checked on Nonsurat. He had a gash down the side of his arm and a bone fracture. It took him a considerable amount of time and pain to extend his arm out to let it be treated and put into a cast.

The medical tent became noisy and busy as it was filled with more wounded soldiers. Outside, over the hills, the battle still raged on. Meta looked at the clock. He had fainted in less than ten minutes of the fight.

"Where did you even learn to fight like that?" Nonsurat asked.

"Huh?" Meta asked, suddenly wondering if Nonsurat was trying to humiliate him.

"When you were sparring Cosmos the first time. You didn't look like a first year at all. I think he'd planned to show you how tough he was going to be, but you impressed him."

"He… beat me."

"Cosmos doesn't say much praise, he only shows it.

"I was a soldier before I enlisted here… kind of like you, I lived on a different planet than Popstar. My home planet was under civil war…"

"Why? What happened?"

"Who knows? Nobody ever knows why."

Nonsurat took off his mask to wipe the dirt and sweat off his face. Meta noticed a crumpled photo taped to the inside of the mask. He wondered if it was too nosey of him to ask, but he was suddenly intrigued.

"Who's that? Your father?"

"No… it's my older brother…"

Something changed on his face.

"Can I tell you something?" He murmured.

"… yes. What is it?"

Meta realized it was the first time Nonsurat had ever opened up something so personal before to anyone.

"… my brother died in that war. I was the one who shot him down."

"I'm… sorry to hear…"

"Both of us were pilots. I was too nervous and… it was raining so hard. No roof. I let the controls slip." Nonsurat said, seeing more in his memory than speaking. "He knew it was me… once the war was over, I came home and…"

He suddenly stopped, barely able to finish.

"I can't go home until I win a war medal… just so… my family knows I'm not…"

After that, Nonsurat shut himself up and couldn't be talked to for the rest of the day.

* * *

"Men, we won! Come on. Let's go and see."

Meta left the recovery tent and joined the others in their trek out into the newly won field. They joined with the victorious soldiers who tossed their helmets and masks into the air, cheering. Meta smiled a little. They won. It seemed more real to him now that the GSA was strong enough to fight his father's forces back. If only he could have been standing out there with his sword in hand victoriously instead of on the side just coming out from the recovery tent. But still visible along the hills was the smoke of the burning piles of demonbeast carcasses. Meta watched the bodies of the GSA soldiers be carried out to camp to be commemorated by their comrades, then loaded into ships and laid to rest on their home planets. He could barely even give his own people a glance without risking what he had worked so hard for.

One soldier was standing over a dying demonbeast. The scene caught Meta's eye and he looked up. The soldier's left arm was limp and burn marks scorched his torso. He was covered with blood of demonbeasts and fallen comrades and beside him on the ground was the body of a slain soldier taken from the battlefield and placed in a restful position with his eyes closed and hands together over his punctured chest. Then the soldier took his sword and stabbed the demonbeast under the ribs.

The demonbeast couldn't even cry out. The soldier stabbed it again, this time in the eye. The air around the demonbeast quivered in such a way only another demonbeast could feel. Meta couldn't shake the demonbeast's pain off of him. It burned his senses as he watched the soldier stab it again in the stomach. Other soldiers had stopped what they were doing to watch, but none of them moved to stop it. The soldier was in a fit of rage. He stabbed to hurt it, not kill. He stabbed it over and over again in the neck, face, back, leg…

One of the other soldiers watching looked like he was about to say something, but dropped it and left. The others did the same; no one wanted to disturb the soldier from satisfying his vengeance.

Meta was forced to turn around as well. He couldn't say anything to stop it, lest he wanted to be labeled first a demonbeast sympathizer, and then the traitor he was.

He heard later that it took a full hour before the demonbeast was finally dead and was terribly mutilated by the time it gave its last breath.

He wished he had done something to stop it.

* * *

A few days after, all traces of bodies were removed from the field. Meta tried to picture the dying GSA soldiers and demonbeasts again, the overwhelming smell of blood, and the bombshells raining… he couldn't. The sky was too blue and the clouds too white to see it again.

"Funny, isn't it?" Nonsurat asked quietly, appearing at his side.

"What is?" Meta asked, now a little irritated by the Popstarian constantly bothering him.

"Like it never happened, right?"

Meta had to agree.

"The grass grows back. The memory never leaves."

Nonsurat left while Meta spent a few more minutes looking out into the field.

Later that day, Kit Cosmos called the entire regiment to meet in one of the larger makeshift tents at camp. The men piled in until every seat and open spot was filled, soldiers either standing or sitting.

"Men, I know we've barely had time to rest, but we have an emergency call from Wayfarer's Star. We're going to be fighting there on a mission tomorrow to get the survivors out of there before we gas the city out for demonbeasts. And… NME has already introduced a new type of demonbeast…"

A projector in the center of the tent turned on, displaying the frail figure of a single locust. The insect's head turned in the hologram then sprang from its slender legs and into the air. Its wings batted the air furiously, but it hardly looked like anything more than a pretty toy. Meta stared into its beady eyes, trying to make sense of such an odd demonbeast.

"… they travel in swarms and have already been reported as flesh eaters. The regiment leaders there have advised that you stay in small groups and stay out of sight from them as possible. The gas will kill all of them, including the residents of Wayfarer's Star still trapped in the city. Our duty is to save those we can and get them out. Is everything clear?"

The tent thundered with affirmation.

"Be ready to board the ships in the morning at six."

* * *

This time, Meta didn't hesitate entering the ship and taking his seat with Falspar. The explosions and gunfire had unnerved him last battle. This wasn't going to be the same. It was a rescue mission, he reminded himself. Still, he felt his throat tighten.

Wayfarer's Star turned out to be a much-visited stopping point for all travelers and merchants, many of who supplied the GSA. Once the ship began entering the planet's atmosphere, the intercom turned on.

"Attention, men!" Kit Cosmos said. "We are approaching Wayfarer's Star. Allow me to remind you all again: keep your gas masks on and DO NOT give them to anyone. You cannot save anyone if you pass out. Keep silent and stay in small groups. We do not have much time. Get as many as you can out of the city before the entire place is gassed. When you hear the sirens, its ten minutes before the planes come."

The ship landed and everyone secured his gas masks on. Meta tightened the straps and breathed in. His breathing sounded heavy. The door opened and they slipped outside into the war torn city. Smoke clouds billowed out of buildings and made the sky turn a toxic gold. The haze was strong. Meta couldn't see the tops of the highest buildings.

He followed Falspar, Dragato, and Nonsurat on an abandoned highway, taking care to investigate every sound.

Meta bit his lip, feeling around them with his greater senses. They were safe at the moment. But he couldn't feel any survivors near by, and somewhere out there, he could feel hundreds of thousands of locusts.

"Cosmos advised not to enter buildings unless we don't have a choice." Dragato explained. "These ones might be okay though."

Meta watched the others take a look around the outside perimeter. They were wasting they're time here, but he had no way of telling them that.

He had a sudden thought.

_I'm the only one who can sense demonbeasts… what if there's an ambush? What if it's like now, when there's no one to be saved and they're trying to look for them? I can't tell them… _

Then, he felt an incoming shadow. The locusts were moving toward them. He bit his lip. He couldn't say a word… not until the others could hear… he continued to wait, arms tense, ready to start running. His comrades continued to search, completely unaware until finally, sound roared around them. Every one of them looked up.

"Incoming!"

They fled. The sky darkened and thundered with buzzing wings. Meta took refuge under the highway in an overturned car. Slamming the door shut, he waited. In a matter of seconds, he couldn't hear anything but the locusts swarm outside. His eyes looked over the car's cracked windows. If it found him, the swarm would shatter the glass to get at him. No sword or gun could fight off a shapeless mass of flesh-eating insects.

The buzzing continued. Meta felt like he was choking on the pounding of his heart. Had the others gotten away? They were still up on the highway somewhere, maybe alive, maybe getting eaten… he couldn't get his senses to ignore the wall of locusts and pick out the others.

The swarm took several minutes to pass and only when he could no longer feel their massive presence in the area did he emerge out of the car and look around.

"Falspar! Dragato! Nonsurat!"

Only his echo replied. He ran back up to the highway and gazed down the road. Far ahead and circling the tops of the city's skyscrapers were several clouds of the demonbeast locusts. They searched aimlessly, driven by only the smell of flesh.

Meta followed where he thought the others had gone until he could no longer spare more time looking for them. How long did he still have before the gas was dropped?

He explored the ruins on his own, stepping in and out of buildings as smaller groups of locusts flew overhead until finally he stopped and looked up.

_There's someone here!_

Meta's eyes turned white as his senses felt the form of a live body huddled in the building to the left. He turned to the squat apartment building tucked out of the hazy sunlight. His senses continued to quiver and run wildly around him. He could hardly concentrate on the single, small presence of a person amid the hundreds of thousands locusts swarming in the faint distance.

He ran up to the building and circled the perimeter, looking for an entrance. A shiver went down his wings. Every door and window had been boarded up hastily. The boards had large gaps in between and were nailed at odd angles. This would have been a death trap for anyone attempting to hide from the locusts. Then how did one manage to survive?

He wedged his sword between the boards and threw his weight against it, which wasn't very much. Although hastily put up, the boards were well secured and certainly better suited to blocking soldiers trying to help than bug swarms. Nothing came loose and he turned his eyes to the roof.

_Would there be someway in from the roof?_

He flew up there, but found the only hatchway covered from the debris from the collapsed neighbor building. If only he had the bodyweight or a good axe to break down the boards over the doors and windows. He was about to try the ground floor door again when he noticed the fire escape... and a single open window. He climbed down to it and peered inside. Had they run out of boards? Only a single board was nailed and the cabinet that had been pushed up against it was flat on the floor. He couldn't open the window any wider so he squeezed inside.

Most of the rooms he encountered were locked and smelled strongly of blood. The survivor was up on the next floor and he finally found a staircase at the far end of the hall. Everything was pitch black, but he left the flashlight clipped to his scabbard strap off. He could see everything in the dark.

He was about half way up when suddenly he saw several forms fly up toward him. He drew his sword too late and they were on him before he could slash at them. Their jaws were incredibly powerful and the locusts tore the skin off of him bit by bit. He fell back on the stairs and shook them off, finally killing two with a single sword swing. The others flew at his face, wings buzzing hard. He swatted them out of the way and stood back up. He kept swinging, almost blindly trying to keep them off of him until they were all dead.

Meta swore as he slumped against the wall. The bites, although small, bled surprisingly a lot. It wouldn't take a lot for a swarm to completely eat someone alive. His armor and physical strength meant very little here…

The rest of the hall had only a few lone demonbeast locusts, which he took out easily. He didn't want to see another group of them attacking again. The survivor was in one of the apartments and he stood in front of the door for a while, wondering just how bad the room would look. This room smelled the strongest of blood.

He opened the door and was forced to take a step back from it. The blood was too much for him… he wanted it bad and his wings shook. He turned away from it, shaking the blood lust out of him and forcing himself to walk in.

The walls and floors were a grisly sight. Every inch of wallpaper, ceiling, and wood floor were covered with tiny scratches lined with dark red. Every tabletop object from vases to picture frames was shattered on the floor. He found an indescribable mass bleeding profusely at the other end of the entryway, which he didn't dare go near.

_I can't do this… this place is awful…_

Meta felt for the presence again. It was definitely a kid, judging by the size, and in the next room. He had to stay and help. He followed his senses into the kitchen where he found the cupboard hiding spot and another half-eaten body, this time clearly a woman, holding the cupboard door shut. As soon as he approached, he heard the small sobs cut short and something crawl away.

"This is the GSA! We're here to get you out!" Meta called.

He wrested the body off of the door handle and opened it. A figure disappeared into a large opening in the wall out of reach.

"You have to get out of here! It's not safe in this place!"

"Go away…" Said the boy.

"Kid, they're dropping gas on the city to get rid of the bugs. It will kill you too if you don't get out of here."

"The GSA can't do anything! They keep losing! The demonbeasts are going to eat them all!"

"We're not losing, the GSA is still fighting NME and still standing strong. Look, this has nothing to do with now! You have to get OUT!"

The boy refused. Meta was trying to decide what to do when he heard a small sound of fluttering. He turned to the kitchen windowsill where a single locust stood, staring at him with small beady eyes. The demonbeast didn't move to attack, seeming to pause and discover that Meta too was a demonbeast. He couldn't hear the rest of the swarm near by, but he felt its approach.

Another locust came fluttering down beside the first, staring at him.

Suddenly, the boy screamed and came out of the cupboard as several locusts flew after him. Meta slashed his sword and the bugs' severed heads fell to the floor. He watched their bodies crackle with electricity.

"They're coming through the walls?!" Meta gasped.

Meta looked at the boy who had buried his face into his cape. The boy was covered in bites like him too and he still hadn't seen the remains of what was probably his mother, just behind them pushed out of the way. Meta hurried the kid out of the room, taking care to block the boy's vision from the other body. The boy was almost too willing to get out of there, seeing that the cupboard couldn't protect him anymore.

They were outside and running down the fire escape in minutes.

Then the sirens sounded. Ten minutes. Meta looked around desperately. The gas mask was for him only. Ten minutes and the boy was going to die right in front of him. They were too far into the city to make it out in ten minutes.

"We got to get out of here fast. We're going to have to run."

"Mister? What are the sirens for?"

_Don't lie to him… tell him the truth. It doesn't matter if he's just a kid._

"It's the ten minute warning. They're going to be dropping the gas soon."

"But you got a gas mask! I need one!"

"I'm here to get you out of here and keep the locusts off. And if I pass out, I can't do that." He said firmly. "We're wasting time. Let's go now."

They ran where they could find open areas, hurdling over abandoned cars and building debris. But it was here where they found the most locusts and Meta did his best trying to protect the kid and himself from their flesh-eating jaws. There were too many for him to fend off and they quickly overpowered him. It didn't matter that he was a demonbeast too. The locusts wanted flesh.

He dove forward, grabbing the kid's arm and pulled them out. Planes flew overhead. Meta watched them release clouds of orange gas. He sliced through the bodies of several more of the locusts as the boy started crying.

"Hey, kid. Quit crying. I'm going to need you to close your eyes and hold your breath as long as you can. I can get us out."

"There's no way…"

"Trust me."

"Okay…"

Meta picked up the kid.

"Ready? Do it now!"

The boy did so, clamping his eyes shut. Meta opened his wings.

The locusts that surrounded them were blown off as he pushed himself off the ground and into the air. He flew low to the ground, wind surging past them as he dodged clouds of locusts and rubble. The demonbeasts were wild; suddenly realizing the gas was coming. Some clung on to him, adding their bite marks to his arms and wings. Trying to shake them off, he collided into a street sign and was knocked out of the air.

The boy gasped, and then cupped a hand over his mouth.

"I just breathed!"

"You're alright. But you better hold it now! And keep your eyes shut. The gas will burn them." He lied.

Meta got back into the air but despite how hard he pushed himself, they fell into the deadly orange gas' cloud. The auras around the locust demonbeasts almost immediately disappeared as each of them died.

He pushed to go faster. Children could only hold their breath so long…

Suddenly the gas clouds stopped, reaching the end of their spread across the city. Meta flew a little further, and then landed outside the city perimeter. The boy opened his eyes and gasped in air. It was now that Meta knew he hated children. The kid bawled openly now

"Let's go."

The platform to the refugee starships was a long walk a way and it took them until boarding time to reach it. There were hundreds of saved survivors who huddled together, looking for lost family and friends. Soldiers walked amongst them, just as awed as Meta was. He looked around the platform. He had only saved one citizen while other soldiers had found entire groups. He felt ashamed. He couldn't have saved more? He felt a tug on his arm, disrupting his sulk.

"Mister, I wish I could be like you someday… don't tell anyone I cried…"

"I won't." He promised.

The refugees were called to board the ships. The boy turned to look at him expectantly.

"Aren't you coming?"

"No. We need to stay back and clear out the rest of the demonbeasts."

Then, as one final word, Meta said,

"… Don't lose faith in righteousness."

**X—X—X**

**Author Note:** On the forums some time ago, I read someone's case that Kirby fanfics should be happy and non-violent. I agree, but considering the anime, it's backstory is just so different than the games. Everything in the games _is_ really carefree. I just feel that gloom hangs around Meta Knight in the anime. Everyone else is happy and having fun, he's like trying to be happy at times, but still can't shake what the war probably did to him.

NEXT CHAPTER: Meta will be fighting in Mekkai. This is the battle that I've waited so long to get to.

You guys are absolutely crazy trying to read my chapters. Eighth of its plot, maybe another eighth is dialogue, and the rest is blocks of descriptions.

Please review!


	10. Chapter X: The Mekkai Offense

**Author Note: Blah blah blah blah Mekkai. Blah blah blah blah. Enjoy.**

**X—X—X**

**-Chapter X: The Mekkai Offense-**

The victory on Halfpoint Star was short lived.

In the days following their return, Kit Cosmos stopped coming out of his office. He spoke little on their return, and then disappeared altogether from their daily workout. The small cabin remained locked and only in one of the upper windows shone a faint light during the evening. The camp medic was sent but to no avail. Training resumed at a little less strict pace.

Finally, the regiment was called to meet in the starship hangar outside the camp gates. Cosmos would be there.

Meta climbed up the steps with the other Popstarians on to the walkway overlooking the garage floor where men crowded around a raised platform. From here, he could see all the parked starships in their lots, including his own which sat untouched since his arrival.

He sat down on the overhang with Falspar, Dragato, and Nonsurat and they watched Cosmos appear from the other end of the room. But before any one could cheer for his return, he stepped up on to the platform and raged into a fiery lecture.

"Men! In two weeks we are fighting in Mekkai alongside Regiments Twelve and Fifty-Eight, west flank. We are ready and able soldiers and we WILL serve dutifully where the universe needs us most. We will NOT lose this battle…"

Meta looked around the room. Every soldier sat in stunned silence, at both the news of Mekkai and at Cosmos' relentlessness.

"This is the most important battle you will ever HOPE to fight in. Our victory will secure that entire region's freedom from NME and gain needed support from those planets. Many of us have friends and family from those planets. They are praying for your bravery and strength. Will you answer them?!"

There was a low murmur of 'yes'.

"I can't hear you. WILL YOU ANSWER THEM?"

"Sir, yes Sir." The regiment replied.

"We have the strength and powers to end this battle if you GIVE your courage and spirit."

Finally, the sergeant breathed in heavily, finishing. He looked across the pale faces of the regiment.

"DISMISSED."

No one said a word as they exited. There was nothing to be said.

At lunch break, Meta sat down with his tray at their table. Usually he was the only one picking at his food, unable to eat much. He noticed that today nobody in the room touched their trays much at all.

"Man, look at the room. Everyone's on edge…" Falspar said.

Meta followed each face from one soldier to the next. He saw their worries easily. Even the ones who smiled or laughed it off couldn't control their finger drumming or leg shaking. There was a large group of men who stood in the back of the mess hall, unable to sit. Seeing them all like this, Meta wasn't sure what to think about Mekkai, a place he knew little about. The name itself brought silence upon mention.

"Is Mekkai really that bad?" He asked, deciding to chance the question.

Silence, as expected. Then,

"Ohhhh yeah. Worst site since the start of the war," Dragato answered him, wide-eyed. "It's just that… the place isn't survivable. It's all metal works. No one can get tanks to plow through or even starships to drop bombs. NME's got such firm grip there."

"Why's it so important?"

Dragato's face fell.

"Well, it is a strategic point for the GSA, we'd get a huge boost in enlistment if we won. I think a lot of the free planets are waiting to see how Mekkai turns out. But… a lot of men from the GSA, including Falspar and I, come from planets in the same galaxy. Popstar… Floria… Hot Beat… NME will take over them if we can't get the demonbeasts out of Mekkai…"

Meta could not comment on it. Dragato didn't reply, but later commented on a different thought.

"It's not like Cosmos to talk like that about something so serious. He's… harsh, in general, just not insensitive. You notice how he just walked up there and…"

"He must have been thinking all that time he was in his cabin how he would say it." Nonsurat said.

"Probably because he worried about deserters." Dragato sighed. "I would have done the same."

"Second year regiments shouldn't by going." Falspar said.

"They probably don't have a choice. Who's left anyway? I don't think they're going to put us on offence. We'll be in the trenches."

"I wouldn't count on that, and you know it."

They were silent for a while before Dragato finally said,

"Someone's going to desert."

He was right. Some days later, two soldiers were caught in the hangar trying to escape in a starship. The two had found a way in from the roof, since the hangar was locked up, and during the dead of night they worked, packing their things and planning their escape. Meta understood why. They had nothing to lose running away from duty. Their families were in no danger of being swallowed up by the empire. They ran away for their lives.

That day was overcast. Clouds covered the sky, threatening rain. The regiment stood outside at the camp center and watched the two soldiers be led to Cosmos who waited with a whip in hand. His expression was sullen.

No once forced them to or directed them. The two slowly kneeled to the ground with their backs to Cosmos and took off their shirts. They didn't look up at the rest of the regiment watching.

Cosmos raise the whip hesitantly, and then let it crack. He gave each of them five lashes and no more. Meta later learned that they could have easily been punished with ten to twenty lashes. Cosmos couldn't bear doing it, neither did he need to do any more. No one else attempted deserting.

* * *

The Mekkai camp was nowhere near as lively as the other battle camps Meta had been to. Before coming here, the regiment was called out to another site in an emergency call. They waited in camp, but didn't have the chance to be on the frontlines before the battle was over. They were finally here in Mekkai.

Meta looked around the camp at the strangeness of the planet. Mekkai was completely mechanical and built layer upon layer of twisting passages through the artificial world. Machines quietly churned and lit up. He knew this place. This was another NME, so distant from the real one.

The soldiers here didn't talk. The men and women stood in the openings of their tents, listening to the maddening sound of the battle in the distance. No one played cards or any ball game.

Meta found his shared tent and looked down at the floor. The only available spot for his sleeping bag was a tight spot between two others. He kicked one of the bags aside. He was taking the corner where he could stretch his wings a little more.

The days passed. Meta noticed himself become increasingly uneasy. His sword and armor could only be polished so much before he had to force himself to stop.

Cosmos called him over one day.

"Lad. Since we're all just sitting around here, how about we test your survival knowledge one last time and see if you officially graduate from all of year one's work?"

Meta agreed and they sat down on benches facing each other at the opening of the main tent. There was a sad look it Kit Cosmos' eyes. The timing struck Meta particularly odd.

_Why test me now? So if I get killed here I can have at least achieved… this?_

"What's the first thing you look for if you're cut off from the main force?"

"Water."

"Where?"

"Lowest point."

"How do you test fire wood?"

"If it's dry and breaks easily."

"What if there's no wood around?"

"… most anything that's flaky and dry… grass… dead leaves…"

"What's an effective way to start a fire if you have no matches, no lens, or flint and steel?"

"A bow drill."

He had Meta demonstrate. He tied together his makeshift bow, returned with bits and pieces of dry wood, and got working rubbing the wood against each other. He put his strength into it and finally, a small cloud of smoke and a small flicker of a fire. Meta put it out.

"Here's four different berries: Bittersweet, Yew, White Baneberry, Belladonna. Which one is safe to eat?"

"None of them."

Kit Cosmos questioned him about several other berries and plants. Berries were still the hardest for him to distinguish and describe how each one looked; but he finished answering and the drill sergeant looked satisfied enough.

"How do you purify water?"

"Boil it, catch the steam with your shield and collect it or run through a cotton swab."

Kit Cosmos sighed.

"Good enough, lad. And you already proved you know all of the maneuver and drills we teach first year soldiers last month. You're caught up."

Nights passed. They continued a light workout. They continued a light workout. They polished their armor and swords, waiting for the time to serve and to see if their fate was sealed on this planet.

Cosmos decided to give another pep talk to the regiment several days later, this time more apologetically.

"Are you ready, men?"

No one answered him.

"Falspar. Why did you enlist to fight in the GSA?"

"I..." Falspar stammered, surprised to be picked out.

"Stand right here in front of everyone, and tell us all why you're here. What do you believe in?"

Slowly, he came to the front. He wasn't in his usual joking manner.

"I'm here to fight because I believe in freedom... for this universe..."

"Why?"

"... I... I want freedom for my family and my friends and everyone I left at home... Popstar's one of the most beautiful planets in my heart. I... I don't ever want NME to take it away."

Meta started seeing the effect it had on the others. Their eyes were closed. They were thinking about their own homes and families.

"Mekkai can't change what you here for." Kit Cosmos continued. "Let us complete our task, and support the men and women who are here with us. We can-"

Suddenly, another officer rushed into the tent. A general. Cosmos saluted him.

"Sir Galla! What is it?"

"Kit. Your regiment is called off from west flank. Regiment Twenty-Eight needs help!"

"What? What happened?"

"They were the only group to break NME lines in the charge, Regiments Five and Nineteen couldn't make it. We know that they were cut off somewhere past the parallel. We can't spare any other regiment to go and find them and get them out. There are a lot of men lost out there."

"Acknowledged. We will do it."

Sir Galla left the tent and Cosmos faced the regiment.

"You heard the general, men. This is a rescue mission! We're NOT on the frontlines!"

* * *

At daybreak, every soldier in the regiment silently slipped into the depths of Mekkai, following Cosmos' lead. By now after seeing several battles, Meta noticed that not every regiment leader led his troops at the forefront. Despite still hating Cosmos, he respected him enough to put his life for someone as daring.

They began their long trek into the mechanical abyss, descending on to the lower platforms. The battle was being fought on the surface while they sank into the heart of Mekkai. There was still the chance of running into demonbeasts hidden among the machinery.

The soldiers ahead signaled to stop as needed while the soldiers in the back watched the rear. The deeper they went, the darker it got and the more nervous they became. Meta opened his senses. There were no demonbeasts in the area.

The small box-like homes were sealed shut and abandoned. It looked as if the machines had buried the houses rather than the homes being built into Mekkai. No one was here. Meta found a small doll made from conjoined metal blocks and wires.

_No wonder Father easily conquered this place. It's just like the real NME in everyway…_

Cosmos trekked looking over the shoulder of the equipment specialist who carried a huge device strapped to his back. It scanned the area every few minutes, creating a map on the screen he held. The map would also look for damages, possibly locating where Regiment Twenty-Eight was attacked.

Meta gazed out into the darkness. He felt relatively at ease here, but the others did not. Where was Regiment Twenty-Eight? Being lost out here, constantly on the lookout for enemy attacks would drive anyone senselessly afraid. He was the only one who could sense other demonbeasts. Inside, he felt a small amount of doubt that the lost regiment could possibly be alive at this rate.

The first men signaled and they all stopped, crouching low to the platform. For a second, their armor shuffled and clinked before it went completely silent. They dared to breathe.

The noise the soldier heard came from what sounded like a group of wheels rolling and droids scanning the area. Mechanical demonbeasts. They were well into enemy territory now.

The demonbeasts passed and with relief, the soldiers continued forward.

Now long after, however, a large rift stopped them. The chasm cut straight into the planet and stretched in both directions almost indefinitely. Standing at the edge and looking up, the soldiers could see Mekkai's sky far above them and the flashes of bombs lighting the clouds.

Cosmos and the equipment specialist surveyed the area. The specialist took another radar scan.

"We're so close to the parallel…this must have been where Regiment Twenty-Eight was cut off…"

"But could they have crossed this?"

"The parallel is less than a mile off from this ridge… based on the last message they were able to transmit… yes."

On the level below them, a fallen oil pipe was lodged between the side they stood on and the other above the darkness. It was wider than three army tanks in diameter. Cosmos immediately dispatched several soldiers to check its sturdiness. They reported it safe.

"Well? Are we going to cross?"

"I don't like how wide in the open it is… there's no cover if there's any demonbeast snipers waiting above."

He had reason to worry. Meta could feel the presence of several large groups of demonbeasts roaming around the rift, although still a good distance away.

"… And even when we get across, there's that other pipe on the other side that we'd have to get around or climb over. We don't have the gear or time for safety…"

"Then we just blast through it? We have grenades." One of the soldiers offered.

"Too noisy. I don't want attention brought to us. The grenades might cause that thing to fall too."

They all stared at the rift for a long while.

"We have to go around, however long that might take us." Cosmos decided. "We don't have a whole lot of supplies though. There's not much other choice."

"But there has to be a different way."

"Well, look down. There are no ledges. It's around it or over that bridge, and I say we go around. My biggest fear is that we're going to get spotted by demonbeasts trying to cross that. They're designed for this planet's terrain and some of the best artillery units NME has ever created. I don't want to meet them."

While they argued, Meta froze and turned around following a growing presence. He sensed demonbeasts coming toward the group, fast. They were noiseless and too fast to outrun. They'd be upon them in seconds. He saw the ambush coming before any of the other soldiers ever would.

This was what he had feared. He knew he would in time be faced with choosing the lives of his comrades over keeping his identity a secret. He couldn't make that decision. He was too afraid of showing himself as odd to the others, odd enough for suspicion.

Meta's hand tensed over his sword's hilt. Sound the alarm, he told himself. There wasn't time to waste.

_But… no one else has abilities like this… what if they suspect me? _

Himself or the others?

_Sound the alarm…_

He hesitated one final moment before he turned around and shouted,

"DEMONBEASTS."

In shock, every soldier's hand reached for his sword and turned just as the mechanical demonbeasts came crashing straight into the center of the group. Men leapt out of the way.

The demonbeasts were wheel-like and armored with metal plates. Opening up, they revealed their robotic bodies with machine gun arms. It was something he recognized. Meta had seen the original designs once or twice when he was young. He knew they were fully loaded with ammo and were designed for rapid shots. These demonbeasts were vastly improved from those blueprints.

The demonbeasts began open fire on the men. Swords were little match to bullets. The regiment ran for cover into the mess of machinery, ducking their heads. Meta's heart pounded from the thunder of bullets. A few men lay dead and the demonbeasts advanced past them, towards the rest of the regiment.

The attackers made up a small group of eight. The regiment numbered over two hundred yet couldn't fight back. Meta tried to raise his head to look, only to drop again.

_Why in the world were they fighting demonbeasts with swords?!_

"Retreat!" Cosmos roared.

There was nowhere to run… except across the bridge and up over the pipe. The regiment was backing away toward it. Every man had his head down, astounded by the killing machines marching forward. Cosmos faced the nearest demonbeast one-on-one. He moved before it could lock on to its target and fire away, taking out one of its arms before it tucked itself back into a ball and sped away.

They ran for it. Soldiers too late to make it across were shot from almost every direction above. The demonbeasts knew they were fleeing into their territory. The snipers dropped down on to their level and rolled after them. They ran, ducking under pipes and through gears.

The wheel demonbeasts were built to speed through this maze-like environment. They were not.

"Get down!" A soldier shouted, tossing a grenade behind him.

It flew over Meta's head and exploded into a group of the demonbeasts. The bullets stopped. The men quickly saw it. Only their grenades were effective. But with grenades exploding in every direction around them, smoke clouded their vision.

Dragato fell, crumpling from a bullet. Nonsurat and Meta skidded to a halt to go help him. Nonsurat grabbed Dragato's arms, struggling to hoist him away from the platform edge. Dragato was spluttering, trying to say something in shock. Meta took Dragato's other arm and they dragged him on to his feet.

"Can you stand up?!" Nonsurat gasped. "Dragato! Speak to me!"

"I'm shot. I'm shot. I'm shot…" He babbled.

Meta looked up, and a demonbeast amidst the chaos made eye contact. It raised an arm, reloading its bullets. He did not give a second thought. Still supporting half of Dragato's weight, Meta pushed Nonsurat off the ledge and he leapt after them. They landed heavily.

"Meta! Why did you—"

"Go!

They ran just as the demonbeast dropped down behind them. Meta drew his sword, but saw he was too late to attack. It was already out and locking on to him. He took cover behind an iron column, and whipped his cape over himself. The demonbeast rolled after him… to find that he had disappeared. Its red eyes scanned the forest of pipes and gears when its sensors picked up movement behind it. Meta appeared out of the darkness, eyes shining white, and he dismembered its machine gun arms and finally sliced through its body. It exploded, sending sparks flying in every direction before the remains of its body fell to the darkness below.

The battle continued above them. Meta found where Nonsurat had taken Dragato. Inside the abandoned Mekkai house, they waited it out. Now that the initial shock was wearing off, Dragato was gasping in pain.

"Is he… badly hurt?"

"I think he got hit by two, but one only grazed his side." Nonsurat said. "Meta? Do you have extra bandages? I lost all of mine back there…"

Meta handed him the only roll he had left. He was deeply troubled by a thought.

_Those demonbeasts didn't even realize I was one of them… they're going to shoot down whatever moves out here…_

Above them, he heard shouts.

"Up here! On the count of three, toss what grenades you have!"

"Behind you!"

A clatter of grenades. The three braced for the explosion. The walls and ceiling shook as the blast erupted. Metal crashed from the levels above them, showering debris. A demonbeast fired its last round of bullets before it fell to the grenades.

After a long silence, men appeared out of their hiding places. Meta, Dragato, and Nonsurat quickly rejoined with the smaller group of men, everyone left after the ambush. Falspar was nowhere to be seen.

"… Cosmos. Where is he?"

"He couldn't have been…"

"But there were a lot of men who couldn't make it over the divide. Did he get left behind?"

"We don't have a regiment leader…"

"Where's the guy with all that computer stuff strapped to him?"

"I saw him get shot. He couldn't even run with all that stuff on him. And that means we've lost all of our maps."

"Should we turn back and look for the divide? We have no idea where we are now…"

"There's no way we can go back out there. We've lots too many already trying to find a way out."

"We have to try somewhere. Pick a direction. We can't just stand here."

They aimlessly trekked in complete silence and uncertainty for another hour. They never found the divide, where they had lost Kit Cosmos and the rest of the regiment. Night on Mekkai was approaching and the pathways fell to darkness. The men huddled closer and closer. Meta had found his importance in their survival. He let his demonbeast senses reach out, but he found no approaching attackers.

They allowed only one lantern to be lit. It was a small comfort for their sanity, despite the obvious risk it posed.

Shouts. Everyone turned. A soldier in terribly damaged armor emerged. It was a GSA soldier.

"Oh my god. Help is here! You guys! The GSA's here!"

* * *

The greetings were short. The soldiers from Regiment Twenty-Eight led them back to their camp. The men there were in great need of supplies. Meta and the other men from his regiment gave their flasks to the grateful survivors of Regiment Twenty-Eight along with several other supplies like first-aid and rations.

Meta walked around the survivor camp. It was a fairly large site sandwiched between two large slates of metal lodged against the walls of some large machine. The rest of the camp sides were fortified with piles of scrap metal. Outside, there were few good vantage points for a demonbeast sniper to attack them. It was relatively safe.

"Hey, Meta, sit with us for a bit." One of the men from his regiment called.

He obliged, sitting down by the small fire and finally allowing himself to catch his breath. His entire body ached. It was now that he realized he had some scrapes along his arms, probably while running away from the attackers. Several more men from their regiment gathered. Nonsurat sat down beside Meta.

"This is really bad guys." One of them said in a hushed tone so the other regiment men wouldn't hear. "They don't have their regiment leader either. He wasn't even in any of their recovery tents. We gave them what we had of supplies, and they're running really low on everything. I just asked one of them and he said that they've been here for several days, and have been attacked a few times already."

"There's no way the GSA's going to be sending anymore regiments to look for us…"

"But… they can't! They can't just leave all of us to die like this! How many of us are here anyway? No… they won't!"

"For all they know, we all died at the divide and we never found Regiment Twenty-Eight. And if they've been missing for this long… they might… presume them to be dead too."

"The guys from Regiment Twenty-Eight look pretty grim… did you see that most of them are injured?"

Meta was suddenly reminded of Dragato and he dismissed himself to look for him. He entered one of the makeshift tents for the wounded and looked around. Dragato was at the farthest end, having his bullet wound treated by another soldier with a small kit of random bits of medical supplies. Meta could see that besides a few rolls of bandages and disinfectants, there was little else to help bring down swelling or stop excessive bleeding. The other soldiers in the tent were asleep, still moaning from their injuries. He forced himself to look away from one soldier with a twisted neck and arm and sit down beside Dragato. The other soldier packed up the bandages.

"Sorry, this is the best I can do… I'll see if I can get you some water too."

"Thank you," Meta answered for Dragato.

Dragato slowly sat up

"God, Meta. I'm so scared… we're all going to die here…"

"… We're still alive. We have to focus on what we can do right now…"

"Yeah right. You're not the bulls*** type, Meta. Please, I just want to hear what you actually think."

"I wouldn't have said anything at all if I didn't mean it."

"Well what are we going to do?!"

"Don't overdo it… lie back down. You need to rest." Meta said. "What we do next will come as we go."

Dragato finally gave up and did so. Meta exhaled.

"I'm going to leave now. Just… hold on. I'm sure that we'll find something…"

Outside, the men were crowded around what looked like a fight. Meta came closer, squeezing through to see Nonsurat facing one of the soldiers from Regiment Twenty-Eight.

"We have to push forward…"

"Listen to this bastard! We'd get our heads blown right off our necks out there!"

"We'd be shot going back anyway. There's no reason for us to turn back when we're this _close_. We can end the battle NOW!" Nonsurat replied fiercely.

"You're insane."

"But the parallel…"

"FORGET the parallel! There's no winning Mekkai. The GSA's going to pull out, and that will be the end of this forsaken place."

Nonsurat fell silent. He was backing down, seeing the other men side against him with the other soldier. Many had stained capes from blood. They had dents in their armor from bullets. They stood shivering from the coldness and fright in their hearts. Mekkai was destroying them. His eyes looked at the crowd, before he finally found Meta. The demonbeast prince gave a small nod. It was all he needed.

"No, we send a flare. Let the rest of the GSA know that we're going forward. They'll keep the frontlines busy. NME must have most of its troops on the battlefront, not at its base this late in the battle. We know that the base is not far from where we are now; it might be only another mile away. There are around two hundred of us here, that's a full regiment. We have the grenades. We have some of the guns from the demonbeasts. If we're going to die, let it be trying to win Mekkai, not running away from it."

"There's no-"

"We don't have the supplies to last. No one's going to come to our help out here. This is the time to end this."

The soldier swallowed the small bit of blood in his mouth.

"What makes you think that the rest of the GSA's going to back us up?"

"They will. We have the position. The generals will call every troop to front if they know we're here and making an attack on the NME base. All that matters now is if we can send a flare that high up from here."

A soldier came back caring a small pack. There were only a few flares.

"We don't have a lot… I think one of them is damaged beyond use."

"Do you think they can get to the surface?"

"… yeah… if we climb up a little farther, they should." He answered, brushing the sweat off his mustache.

"What if it doesn't work?" Someone asked.

"We have to try. It's the only thing that's going to call off the demonbeast snipers from this area… it has to count…"

There were a couple of soldiers trained in explosives as well as flares. They stood shaking a little, staring down at the flares. Above was dark emptiness, so far away from the surface. But by now, the men stranded in the camp had made up their mind. They were going to attempt sending the flare.

For the rest of the men, they sat around the assorted tents, resting and waiting nervously. They watched the group busily work on the flares, adding some modifications and sealing off the damages. There were few tools to work with or time to think. They tested the damaged flares first with no success. They sparked before spluttering off. Another was tried. It exploded only a short distance up, blinding the soldiers with its flash of light. There were only two left. The group decided setting them in a different spot.

Nonsurat watched them expressionlessly. He was thinking hard.

The men were hesitant now, with only two left.

"Send the other one up too. We'll need both of them."

They set the two up, a short distance apart on the platform above the camp. The matches were lit; the men took cover. Both flares shot up into the air, spiraling toward the dark sky. One exploded and in its flash of light, the other was lost from sight.

"That first one exploded too soon…"

"But… did the second one make it?"

"… we won't know… but right now, we have to start moving. If it failed, it won't take the demonbeasts long to get here. I think I have a plan on how we can infiltrate the base."

Every able man in the camp crowded around Nonsurat as he unfolded his plan.

* * *

Kit Cosmos left the infirmary tent with the doctors calling after him. He whipped aside the cloth covers and stomped out, tearing off a good portion of the bandages covering his arm and legs. He threw down his crutch too. Here he was, in camp getting petty bandages for a few wounds while the majority of his regiment had been eaten alive by Mekkai. Wherever Regiment Twenty-Eight had been cut off from the rest of the GSA, they were dead. He didn't believe that they could have survived.

"Sir!" Falspar called after him, equally bandaged up.

The explosion had caught both. Falspar had worse burns on him, but Cosmos had a bullet lodged in his side.

"You shouldn't get up. They didn't even get the chance to take out the bullet…"

"They can take them out later." Cosmos growled. "Get back in the tent."

"Sir!"

"GET BACK IN THE TENT."

Falspar bit his lip, tensing from the shout. He didn't move.

"Sir, they're still alive. They got over the rift and kept running. It's not over yet."

"The hell it is. Those demonbeasts can wipe out an entire regiment in one go."

Then, from somewhere far in the distance across the deadly fields came a small flare. The light trailed upwards with a small stream of smoke following. Orange. A call for reinforcements. Many of the soldiers in camp saw the flare, but Kit Cosmos was the first to react.

"By the stars, it's from the 32nd parallel! There's a group out there! They're pushing forward! Every able man to front!"

* * *

For the first time since the start of the battle at Mekkai, the NME base was under attack. The demonbeast sentries rushed down to the battlements to peer over the edge at the GSA soldiers who charged a fallen pipe as a battering ram into the front gates. Bullets cut the air past their helmets, forcing their heads down. The demonbeasts scrambled to turn on the electric barriers, only to find that the controls were smashed in. Someone had already gotten within the fort and destroyed it.

Then the gates broke. The GSA soldiers let go of the battering ram and charged, swords and shields drawn. The group that had gotten into the base first rejoined and ran down the few demonbeast soldiers on the main level. They were quickly overwhelmed and slain.

The force split into two, one led by Nonsurat to take out the control tower, and the other one led by a soldier from Regiment Twenty-Eight to take out the delivery machine. Meta was a part of the second group, and they pursued

Nonsurat led his group up the battlement stairs, fighting off the demonbeasts. Even armed with high-tech guns, they fled. The GSA infiltrators outnumbered the meager few who had been left the guard the once unreachable fortress.

He knocked the next demonbeast off the battlement wall and the soldier behind him shot down another on a higher ledge before it could escape into the tower. The emergency doors were too slow to shut them out. Their feet flew up the stairs. They couldn't feel their exhaustion anymore. Hearts racing, they burst through the control room door. The demonbeasts immediately surrendered, dropping their weapons and backing away from the controls. The soldiers held their swords to their throats.

"You." Nonsurat said to one. "Go and shut down the power to all those mechanical demonbeasts out on the war front."

The pyramid-shaped demonbeast with a sphinx head obeyed. She went to the monitor and typed out the password to the system. The soldiers had her back away once it was unlocked. They shut it down. The computer screens crackled. Then each and every computer controlling the demonbeasts on the battlefront blacked out.

* * *

In the GSA trenches, the soldiers watched the next wave of demonbeasts advance. Steadily, the metallic balls rolled forward. The sky was still dark. Every available soldier was there, including the Star Warriors. They watched the demonbeasts in silent awe. The bodies of their comrades from the previous attack had just been cleared out. Soon, theirs too would likely be the next to be laid out in a neat line, have their tags removed, and sent in caskets home.

One of the generals blew on a whistle and waved his arms up.

"Cannons at ready!"

The tanks, which had gone useless on the maze-like terrain, served as the main fortification of the GSA's line. Soldiers closed the hatch doors. The turret swerved to face the incoming attackers. The main gun was lowered and locked on. They waited. The intercom inside of each tank sounded.

"Fire at the first sight of them charging forward, men."

The balls rolled to a stop a good distance away from the trenches. Each was perfectly aligned in their rows as they became still. The soldiers in the trenches clutched their weapons. Standing up, they heard the groan of their back and legs. Their eyes strained against fatigue. Many had been still serving on the frontlines, nearing their rest period when the call had been given for all soldiers to take arms and stand for the final showdown.

The silence was unbearable. And then, the demonbeasts charged.

"FIRE!"

The cannons thundered. The ground out in no-man's-land had long been blasted to blackened and crumpled metal sheets. The explosions lit the clouds like lightening in a storm. Bombshells flew into the air. Still the demonbeasts rolled, emerging out of the smoke clouds. The cannons had only destroyed a small number of the attackers, and now the demonbeasts moved on toward the trembling soldiers.

Some stopped to unravel, holding their arms forth as their reloaded their bullets. The rest tore at the ground, speeding toward the trenches. The GSA's own guns were useless on their armor.

"OVER THE TOP!"

The soldiers climbed out to meet the attackers head-on. The Star Warriors came forward, quickly dismembering the first demonbeasts. Their swords, maces, and lances moved faster than air. Bullets shot through the air. Every soldier ducked behind their shields, arms shaking as the bullets hit the shields. Then everything stopped.

The GSA soldiers looked up in surprise. The demonbeasts' glowing red eyes had blackened and their machine gun arms hung loosely. Each one stood frozen in place, and finally one of them collapsed from its weight. One of the soldiers nudged it with his sword. It didn't move.

"Men! Slice off the guns! This could be a trap!" One of the generals shouted.

They did so. With each and everyone disarmed, the mechanical demonbeasts still remained motionless.

"Sir! They're dead! Something must have happened back at the NME base!"

The demonbeasts moved no more. The GSA roared.

* * *

The demonbeasts had nowhere left to hide. They escaped from the GSA soldiers and barred the doors to the delivery machine room. The doors couldn't be opened with bare hands and swords. The men quavered with exhaustion.

"Grenades! Get the grenades!"

Without a second thought, several were tossed and a single explosion blew the barrier down. The sound shook the entire fortress and their heads. The smoke cleared and the two sides stood ready to confront the other.

Meta saw a harpy-like demonbeast fly with talons outstretched for his head. He blocked it, but its force threw him on his back and knocked him into another soldier. Another rat-like demonbeast dove its head forward. Its powerful jaw struck his mask just above his eyes. Meta moved to slash back when another soldier tackled the demonbeast to the ground and slit its neck.

Meta looked up. One demonbeast managed to finish the distress call. The delivery machine started up, flashing lights filling the room. The demonbeasts howled and ferociously drove back the soldiers, who now had fear in their eyes. In minutes, NME would be sending reinforcements to slaughter the infiltrators and reclaim the fortress. The delivery machine couldn't be dismantled and effectively destroyed in that time.

A mechanical demonbeast with drills for hands tore through the armor of a soldier close to Meta. He heard him scream and he moved to help him. The drill grinded against his sword's blade. Meta shook the demonbeast off, only for it to return with another strike. He had tears in his eyes. Every soldier there had tears too. They were so close to winning Mekkai…

More demonbeast closed in to attack. They overwhelmed the GSA soldiers, pushing them back one step at a time against the wall. Another soldier by Meta's side fell. In a last desperate sword swing at his next attacker, Meta felt his blood burst into fire. Everything and everyone in the room suddenly flooded into his awareness. The sword swung down and a golden arc formed from its edge.

Meta crumpled to the floor, all of his breath and strength gone. The light grew, ripping through ground and space.

The demonbeasts were in panic in they fled in all directions. In a single cry, they screamed,

"STAR WARRIOR!"

The demonbeasts dived out of the way and the arc sliced cleanly through the delivery machine before it could process. Meta looked up, watching materializing demonbeasts disappear as the machine's wires snapped. Sparks crackled. Then the machine was lost in an explosion.

Silence. Weapons fell. The demonbeasts surrendered.

With every demonbeast soldier on the war front deactivated, it did not take long for the rest of the GSA to reach the base. The NME flag and emblems on the fortress walls were taken down and burned, replaced by the GSA's victorious flag. Nonsurat and the other leading soldier from Regiment Twenty Eight received a war medal each. The GSA crowded the fortress battlements and courtyard to watch the two be awarded. Meta was proud for his friend. But as the medal was clipped to Nonsurat's shoulder plate, Meta could see his expression change for a small moment. The medal wasn't for him to keep pinned on the barrack wall for his barrack mates and himself to admire. The first thing the next day, it would be sent home to his father, Meta suspected.

A hand came down on Meta's shoulder plate, making him flinch. It was Kit Cosmos, who for once looked pleased. He gave Meta a hearty pound on the shoulder, when the demonbeast prince moved to keep his congratulating hand off his wings.

"Lad, why didn't you say you were a Star Warrior this whole time? We could've had you moved up to the elite regiments right away!"

Suddenly, Meta remembered everything. The light… the way his blood burned… his insides ran cold.

_I'm a… Star Warrior?!_

**X—X—X**

**Author Note: **I should give myself a little disclaimer. I'm obviously not a military strategist, I'm just a high school student who writes fanfiction on the side, so if some of the little "plans" from the chapter seemed kind of derpy, they probably were. Also the survival test stuff. I would die instantly if someone just dropped me out in the middle of nowhere. I need the comfort of my electric blanket and my cat sitting on my lap. :3

Right now, I'm estimating that there's going to be seven or eight more chapters and an epilogue. Chapter XI was included in this update, and Chapter XIII and the epilogue are already in their final forms. So actually, that's only five or six more to go.

Please review!


	11. Chapter XI: Unknown Warrior

**Author Note: **Ah… who hasn't shown up yet so far in this story? Jecra… Garlude… they're here. :3

I hate to say, but Meta Knight kind of acts like a Mary Sue. Probably not the best inspiration for fan characters…

**X—X—X**

**-Chapter XI: Unknown Warrior-**

The Star Warrior council was silent. Representing, amongst the hundreds of the GSA's elite infantry, were warriors of all races. Some of the races were seated in an entire section of seats, others by only one or two members. They sat rigidly tall, arrogant chins raised, and sharp eyes gazing out in space. Their auras boiled, clashing with neighboring members, although neither would turn to look at the other or talk. Here, in this chamber at the GSA headquarters, was a roomful of the universe's greatest and legendry lone-wolf fighters stuck side-by-side waiting for the messenger to return and for the meeting to commence.

Lady Garlude was seated above the rest of the tiered members at the head table with the council's other administrators. She served as the council's head, being a royal member of her home planet and Free Galaxies Confederacy. Her crown's sapphire gleamed under the council room's spotlights. Despite occasional glances on her face from those seated below, her eyes did not shift from the main doors.

Finally, the messenger returned, only to hand a small disk to a waiting Star Warrior before exiting. The Star Warrior was of Garlude's race and he cleared his throat to speak.

"The news about Mekkai has reached just about every regiment at this point in time, and we've all been celebrating for the last few days. I don't believe that I'm telling anyone this for the first time that the NME base was overtaken. What you may not know is the finer details… that one of the soldiers that destroyed the delivery machine was a previously unidentified Star Warrior…"

He walked up to the room's central projector and inserted the disk. Eyes flickered to the large holographic image of a dark blue Popstarian wearing a V-slit mask. Garlude leaned in with a little more interest, trying to decide the expression in the mysterious Star Warrior's eyes. They didn't reveal.

"… there is absolutely no background information anywhere in the files under the Free Galaxies Confederacy. Witnesses at Mekkai saw him unleash a sword beam, which destroyed the delivery machine there and secured our victory."

"So? Invite him to the council." One of the other administrators at Garlude's table tiredly said. "What's the need to call an entire meeting for just one soldier?"

"A moment, please. I just want to state it now that I think it is important to us in this council as we try to make decisions based around us Star Warriors, that we have tabs on each and every one of us. I looked deeper into base reports and—"

"That's classified information. Even we do not have authority to read those." Another administrator called out.

"I believe that under special circumstances, yes, we have all the authority to read private logs, again when it concerns Star Warriors, this information should be brought to us."

"Carry on."

"This man, named Meta, no last name, has been training in the regular troops under Regiment Fifty-Four. Reports from the regiment leader, Kit Cosmos, state that he was misplaced in second year, but showed great aptitude to learn the basic combat moves, survival and fighting techniques, everything within a shorter period of time. That is not what I am concerned about. What I don't understand is how a Star Warrior wouldn't have known how to handle a sword. Each and every one of us has known how to use weaponry since birth. And it seems to me that he discovered Sword Beam on accident."

All the debate that had built up as he spoke fell to stunned silence.

"Preposterous! No Star Warrior just stumbles upon techniques. He must have gone undercover to fight in the regular regiments."

"Many of the details say otherwise," the speaker answered. "He used Sword Beam for the first time, and wasn't even able to control it well enough. I swear, I don't understand the new generation Star Warriors… now they no longer have our techniques in their blood…"

"He's not that young though. Look at him! He can't possibly be any younger than our newest members…"

"What about the sustainability of Star Warriors? If every Star Warrior was like this, the free universe would be instantly lost to NME! It is because we can fight from the day we are born to the day we die that the universe continues to have light!"

"I demand that we interrogate him! What if he's a spy? There's no way he can be a real Star Warrior."

"He _is_ a Star Warrior." Said a single voice.

Garlude turned to the voice in surprise. It was the Duke. The other popstarian Star Warriors seated around him were just as shocked. Without having to raise his voice much or stand up, the Duke had everyone's attention. Garlude sat back, holding her hands together at her table.

"Duke Galacta? Have you met this warrior?" She asked.

"Yes, I have." Came the short reply.

"Can you confirm that he really is…"

"He's a Star Warrior. I have no doubts. I sensed his aura… it's just… different."

"Different?"

"Duke, you have a very strange aura, yourself." Someone else cut in before the popstarian could reply. "Do you mean like yours?"

"Let him finish." Garlude said, noting the Duke's suppressed annoyance.

"Instead of debating about him, why don't we just invite this Meta to our next invitational? See for yourselves what his aura feels like."

"Lady Garlude? Do you object to this?"

She took a long pause.

"No. Let us invite him. I agree with the Duke."

Toward the back of the room, one Star Warrior stood in the doorway with his arms crossed. Jecra combed back his gold hair out of his face. He was among the original members of the council alongside Garlude. He had seen the council become increasingly tighter and prone to long, wasteful arguments over the years. The Popstarian Star Warrior, without a past or identity, equally intrigued him. Only one thought bothered him.

_Why are they trying to stop him from joining us if he doesn't know any of our techniques… odd as it is… can't we just… teach him?_

Jecra's gaze followed the faces of those arguing before he returned it to Garlude. She was leaning over her table, slowly coiling a long strand of soft purple hair in thought as she studied the hologram. He knew her well. She did not idly play with her hair unless she was troubled.

_Garlude… I know that you're thinking the same thing…_

He left the council room, deciding that he was going to see this Star Warrior for himself and make his own opinions.

* * *

The shadows stirred. On the road, a lone figure strolled past the dark shacks, carrying a lantern and a bundle of scrolls tucked under his arm. Yamikage watched him. He had been following Yoshiro for quite some time.

Yoshiro patrolled the last stretch of road before entering the main pagoda. He took off his sandals and set them outside by a large pool of rainwater. They would never be worn again. He set the scrolls down in the library and settled down to study. For several hours, he sat cross-legged reading the manuscripts thoughtfully. At some point, he absentmindedly looked up, following a faint sound. He found nothing, however, and returned to the dusty writings.

The shadows were Yamikage's name and being.

Yoshiro was busy searching the remnants of their lost society's archives for anything he could transcribe. Uniting several clans of ninjas with long history as enemies, as well as the samurai, under a single force was still the main problem they faced, but necessary to fix. At this time, only the wise words of their ancestors might calm the storm between them, he reasoned.

Then a sound. He heard it.

Yoshiro leapt back, upsetting the inkwell and scrolls. A shruiken was lodged in the wall where he had just sat. The tips were stained with poison. Several more were thrown. He drew his staff and deflected each of them. As they clattered away, Yamikage appeared, holding a dagger.

"Yamikage!" He gasped. "What's the meaning of this?!"

He did not answer. Instead, Yamikage rushed toward him, dagger ready to kill. Yoshiro traced his movements and dodged the swipes of the blade. Just as he felt the wall at his back, Yoshiro grabbed Yamikage's arm and swung him against it, knocking the weapon out of his hand.

"Answer me!"

Yamikage kicked the older ninja off of him and distanced himself in a single leap away. He did not have any other weapons, and his dagger lay behind Yoshiro under the pile of scrolls.

"… I've been thinking a little more, after what you and Brother Takashi were talking about the other night… I see everything now…"

"No… no. Yamikage… don't tell me…"

"Sir Arthur let our people die… and now we stand begging before the GSA for their rations and supplies?"

"That's Takashi's wrongful thinking. Yamikage! Listen to me! The GSA has nothing to do with our people's fall. NME is the one who has killed our people. Nothing changes that!"

"Yes, NME was our one and only enemy… but letting us fight NME alone? Nothing changes that the only reason why our clan has been reduced to seventeen of us is because the GSA didn't CHOOSE to help us when they had every chance and reason to do so."

"Yamikage—"

"This is an embarrassment for our people to live like this! Shameful to our ancestors! The GSA did not give us this planet to help us rebuild. This is to degrade us! I couldn't describe how I felt about this place when I first came here to this dirty pit. I understand everything perfectly now. We can't join the GSA under the regular units because they believe us to be savages."

"Yamikage. You're blaming the ally for what the enemy has done to us."

"At least NME never discriminated who they conquered…"

Yamikage moved to retrieve the dagger to be stopped again as Yoshiro spun his staff, blocking him.

"Come to your senses, Yamikage. Forget this and rest. It's late."

Yamikage shook his head, laughing dryly.

"Ha ha ha… Brother Takashi sent me here to eliminate the only thing standing in the way of our people uniting against the GSA. He knew you wouldn't agree with us. We already have a large following. And with you out of the way, we can fight back. Talking peacefully gets nothing heard and nothing done…"

Yamikage prepared his stance. Yoshiro was ready to defend himself. The dagger… he had to get rid of it. He forced his gaze to focus on the younger ninja's movements as Yamikage began to approach, instead of the dagger lying under the scrolls. Neither blinked.

Yamikage made his move. He came flying directly toward Yoshiro. His strength was by far greater than the old master's and he slammed him against the wall. Yoshiro swept the dagger away with a sweep of his staff. The blade spiraled away. Yamikage ducked under as the staff sliced at the air above him. His eyes looked down at the table with the scrolls and he threw it toward Yoshiro. The older ninja blocked the barreling mass with his staff and watched Yamikage jump off the top of the table over head. The younger ninja kicked the blade up and snatched the dagger from the air.

Yamikage circled Yoshiro. Any second, any blink away; the dagger could be stabbed into his heart. Their muscles twitched, anticipating the second the other would move. Trying to talk them out of the fight wasn't going to distract Yamikage anymore…

Yoshiro fled, escaping out the window and into the rain. Standing on the rooftop, he scanned for a way down.

Yamikage melted into the shadows. Yoshiro's vision was poor. Without the light from inside, he barely could distinguish the flash of movement from the rain. Suddenly, Yamikage emerged and dove forward with the dagger in hand. He missed Yoshiro when the older ninja sidestepped. Yamikage growled and was moving to take another swipe when his footing slipped on the wet rooftop. He slid down, knocking the shingles off and took a leap off on to the balcony below.

Yoshiro ran with Yamikage close in pursuit, running down the hall below him. The rest of the base was asleep. No one would be able to hear an old man, already gasping for breath, shout.

Yamikage got to the end first and suddenly appeared over the edge. The dagger swung. Both of them fell, sliding off the roof and on to the path surrounding the pagoda. Yoshiro's arm shook as he held the dagger away from him. He couldn't hold out. Yamikage was stronger.

Then he felt a sharp pain in his chest and when Yamikage stepped away, he looked down to see the dagger's blade gleaming red. He couldn't stand. His legs collapsed under him. He couldn't find air. He gasped as he stared up at Yamikage.

"Ya… Yamikage… why? W… what are you doing… to your… p… people?"

"There is only one way for us to continue, and that is fighting back the GSA. They wish to destroy us. They can fight the war without us…"

Yoshiro coughed out the blood pooling in his lungs. His heart burned from the poison…

"No… no one w… will ever agree with… you… they will remember the reason that we continue to fight NME…"

"Brother Takashi already has convinced the samurai. It won't take much to get the rest of our people to see…"

Yoshiro could no longer reply.

"Goodbye. I have errands to run."

* * *

Meta wrote a letter home for the first time since arriving to the regiment camp. He had not meant to wait this long to let Kamira know he was still alive. He desperately wanted to know how she and Wolfwrath were doing.

"Careful what you write, though. All the letters have to be read and censored before they can be sent." Dragato had warned before.

That defeated Meta's entire purpose to write at all for months. All he wanted was some consolation. He opened his bag and found stationary and a pen. He tried to write but to no avail. If only he couldn't write about the thousands of questions he had… she would not have much answers either. How was she supposed to know why the Star Warriors couldn't sense him out for a demonbeast? He had thought that the Duke had seen right through him, but evidently not. No Star Warriors had stormed the camp to drag him out and shoot him.

He laid down on his bunk, taking his mask off to hold his temples and breathe out.

_No more. God, I can't take it. First Star Warriors not seeing right through me, now I AM a Star Warrior?! I don't know what's going on, and I can't question it right now… _

He put his mask on and since he was alone, he stretched his wings. If only he could cut them off, and hopefully not die of blood loss… half of his problem: getting spotted by the regular soldiers here in this camp, would be instantly gone. Right now, all the men in camp thought he was a Star Warrior. It wouldn't take much for them to see the truth.

He looked down at the page to find that he had started to write something. He crossed it out. He had to write something. Forcing himself, he only ended up with a generic-sounding letter. He was displeased with it, but sealed it anyway to take to the mail-carrier starship when it arrived.

"Hey, Meta. The other guys are out playing ball out on the field. Cosmos is pitching." Falspar called, opening the door to the barracks. "Can't stay here all day."

"I don't wish to play."

"You should at least watch."

"No thanks."

"Just this once? Jeez, how hard can it possibly be to get you outside? Beautiful day today, and you want to just sit here. Don't miss it when it's right in front of you. You might not get to see it again, especially if we have to go back to any of the snowy bases for a month or two…"

Meta sighed, and finally got up. He followed Falspar outside. It really was a pleasant day. He had not really bothered to think much about the weather day to day since his arrival to the base. While only half-listening to Falspar rant about some subject, he breathed in. He had survived the battles and the depths of Mekkai. He appreciated breathing in the clean air a little more than he had before.

They heard the shouts coming from the field. Kit Cosmos was standing on a small mound of dirt and he readied his stance, and then threw a curveball at the next batter. Everyone looked like they were having a good time. Meta leaned against the outer perimeter fence and looked at the golden star. It pulsed in his hand. He wanted someone to ask all these questions to. He had no answers.

Falspar was still talking. Meta had only just started listening when he felt a presence. It wasn't from any of the men on the field. He looked around. The aura alarmed him, making his blood run cold.

_A Star Warrior…_

Meta spotted the exact figure. The figure had been looking at two other soldiers who were standing off to the side of the road when he suddenly turned to look directly at Meta. His pace quickened.

"Who's that?" Falspar wondered aloud. "Is that someone from headquarters?"

The stranger stopped before them.

"Are you Meta?"

"… yes?"

Meta looked up at the face of the stranger. The Star Warrior was a tall figure with dark purple skin and golden spikes of hair. His aura was strong, making Meta cringe. His eyes were friendly though, and Meta found enough comfort it them to relax a little.

"I'm Jecra. Do you have a minute?" He said, holding out a hand.

"…Eh… yes." Meta said, accepting the handshake.

The Star Warrior led him away from the field on a short walk around the base. Meta gave one last glance back at the others on the field before he returned his attention to the stranger.

"I'm representing the Star Warrior Council. We'd like to invite you to our next social gathering next week to meet with you, and ask if you'd possibly join the council."

"… what… what for? I mean, I haven't really been in the GSA that long… I…"

"That doesn't matter. Are you interested?"

Meta didn't know how to answer.

_An entire council of Star Warriors? I'm not going to put myself in a room full of Star Warriors…_

"Do you know much about Star Warrior techniques?" Jecra asked suddenly.

"I…"

"Because if you don't," Jecra continued. "I can teach you."

Meta was not sure whether or not to take the offer. It caught his bewilderment.

"First thing tomorrow if you'd like. Sunrise, alright? I'll tell Cosmos that you'll be training under me for a bit."

His cape shifted in the wind and he left Meta in awe.

* * *

"Have a seat."

Meta looked out at the grassy fields and the currents of stalks in the wind. Jecra had brought him far away from the base where no roads ran or the military drill alarms blared. In the open space, the wind blew hard at their capes and Meta instinctively clutched his cape tighter around himself at the first brush of air on his wings. They sat down facing each other

"… How many techniques do you know? Besides Sword Beam, I mean. I think that's the best way to start this and see what you can do."

"I… I don't know what Sword Beam… is…"

Jecra's throat twitched a little. Meta saw it.

"The soldiers at Mekkai saw you use it."

"Oh."

"So, just Sword Beam?"

The questions were making Meta nervous. He didn't know what words would raise suspicion and which ones would get him closer to finding the single answer he wanted most. That was why he came here, he finally understood.

"Yes."

"Okay, then I guess it's still something to work with. Sword Beam is one of my best maneuvers too. It's a pretty common one too among us."

"Wait, not every Star Warrior…"

"We're all really similar, and then very, very different from each other, funny, right? Every Star Warrior has at least some main technique, sometimes a few others they can use pretty well. Then everything else, they will never be able to learn how to do them because it isn't in them."

"But then, I thought…"

"We both can use Sword Beam. It's almost impossible to teach anyone else how to use it if they're not capable of it. Kind of disheartening, I guess. There's so many techniques I wish I could do, but never will…"

"Then how many are there?"

"Many, from what we already know, but so many more that future Star Warriors will find."

He paused, then said,

"Let's start with something different… how well can you feel the universe around you? You know what I mean, right?"

"Yes… people, I guess. I can feel their presence room to room."

"What else about them?"

"… like if they're Star Warriors or not… their size…"

This was true. As a demonbeast, Meta could feel the presences of others, particularly Star Warriors. And from that, he could distinguish also who wasn't either demonbeast or Star Warrior.

"Hm… well, how about we try this: close your eyes and describe to me as much as you sense around you in as much detail as you can."

"I only sense you."

"Ignore me. Feel everything else around you."

"There's wind… and grass."

"Those are your other senses. Focus on your inner sense of the universe."

They did this each and every morning. What was difficult was that he was being asked to describe objects like rocks and leaves in great detail without sight. With Nightmare's blood, he already had a strong sense of the universe. He thought back to his childhood. It had been so long ago since he last bended the universe around him to pick up small objects and move them around. It was such a useless ability back then, and even if he could practice it again and strengthen it, it wouldn't have much value to him now.

Either way, he didn't dare use any of it in front of a Star Warrior.

Finally, one morning, Jecra gave him a new task. The most Meta had accomplished before then was naming a few objects. A rock. A lost coin. Some insects. It still never completely satisfied Jecra. He couldn't describe the looks of each object. How could he see with his eyes closed?

"Jecra? … I can't do it. I've tried so hard and I… I don't even know where to start."

"Not today. I put something out there in the grass. I want you to describe what it is. Maybe it will help to just focus on one object."

Meta strained. There were so many distractions all around him. Every sway of grass, the ants running along a rock behind them… he struggled to sort through it. Metal… the shape of the metal kept changing in his mind. He could not see it clearly. The grasshopper's wings fluttered in the wind as it held on. He traced the edge. It was round… and there was wood patterns in laid on its crest.

"It's a shie—"

His mind broke focus. His hand flew to his sword and he turned…

_*SHING*_

Meta stared at the locked swords, staring at his bewildered reflection in the blade of Jecra's sword. Both of them were standing up, when just seconds ago, they were seated in the grass at complete ease.

"Why did you— " Meta gasped.

Jecra released the pressure off of Meta's blade and let his sword drop to the grass. He was beaming.

"You did it! Meta! You found _mushin_!"

"What?"

"_Mushin_! You blocked me on complete instinct. I wasn't sure if you were going react fast enough. It's taken you a while to finally get into a completely focused state.

"What is this… _mushin_?"

"It's one of the most basic of Star Warrior techniques. When you reach _mushin,_ you're able to fight thoughtlessly and rely on your focus with the universe. We'll have to get you a little faster at it, and then we'll see how well you can use it on the battlefield."

"On the battlefield? But… no way, how can you concentrate when there's bombs exploding and guns firing?"

"It will come to you naturally when we strengthen your focus."

Jecra went over to pick up both their swords and hand Meta's back.

"I've even heard of some Star Warriors who can find _mushin_ in their sleep. That's rare though, I've never seen it myself. But now that you saw it for yourself, I guess we're done here. Just in time too. I'm leaving tomorrow to go to headquarters. It's still your choice whether or not you want to come and join us, although… the others would like to meet you."

_Others?! I can't… there's no way I can… an entire Star Warrior regiment? _

The thought severely frightened him. He wanted to go. What Jecra had just showed him astounded him.

"But… what about other techniques?"

"They're something you're born with. You'll eventually find them."

_I was born with nothing but blood lust…_

"Let's head back."

They returned to the camp for lunch and with Jecra beside him, a lot of the men looked up at them, and then turned away in resentment. Meta had come to the regiment at the bottom, near clueless and struggling for most of his time here, and was now shown to be their superiors. The jump didn't sit well with them, but no one would ever say anything.

Meta invited Jecra to sit with him, Falspar, Dragato, and Nonsurat. They introduced themselves nervously.

"Falspar? Oh, I've heard of you before."

"Really? From where? Who?" Falspar asked in surprise, then aside to Dragato, said, "See? On my way to fame already."

"The Duke."

"Maybe infamy?" Dragato corrected.

"Did you… really say that to him?" Jecra asked, laughing a little.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I did. Got in trouble."

He was about to say more when a soldier from Barrack Two came running into the mess hall.

"ASSASSIN! Someone… someone just… Sir Arthur…"

Men stood up and conversations died. They crowded around him as he collapsed at one of his friend's table. They gave him a glass to drink from, but he pushed it away. Kit Cosmos burst through the doors, dispersing the men to get to the soldier.

"What did headquarters just send?"

The soldier caught his breath.

"Someone tried to assassinate Sir Arthur just a few hours ago… they don't know who it was and they're not saying anything more."

"Is he alright?! Out with it, lad!"

"They say he's fine now. He's in the hospital wing at headquarters…"

"I have to go see him now… there's no way I can just stay here waiting for news to get out to the regiments…"

Meta watched as Jecra followed Kit Cosmos out of the mess hall, and decided to come too.

"Sir, I'm sure that he is fine now. The security will definitely tighten… whoever it was, we'll find him or her."

"How could the assassin have gotten so close? Could it have been a demonbeast?"

"… it couldn't have been. If it was, there were more than a hundred Star Warriors at headquarters that would have stopped it long before it got anywhere close to him."

Kit Cosmos let out his breath.

"Arty is one of my closest friends, and I've been worrying so much about him because he's isolated himself. As a friend, I have to go. I'll arrange for someone to watch over this regiment and drill the men in the mean time."

He turned to Meta.

"Well, you two are going to be leaving headquarters anyway, right? Might as well save the flight. Pack your bags, lad, and you two meet me in the starship hangar. We'll get your starship loaded in too, lad. We're leaving in an hour."

"Sir! I wasn't…"

"Wasn't what?"

"… planning to go…"

"Not going?! Lad! I can't train you anymore! All that wasted potential if you stayed here. You're a Star Warrior!"

_I'm not!_

"You're leaving this regiment, lad. Get your bags and say goodbye to anyone you need to. Sir Jecra here will get you all settled into the Star Warrior regiment."

Jecra did not comment, but he gave a small nod to him. Meta slowly walked back to his barrack alone.

_I don't even have a choice now… but about what Jecra said… he'd notice if there was a demonbeast at headquarters? … He hasn't… found me out yet…_

He took out his Warpstar and looked at it again.

_Has this shielded my identity? Or… actually made me… into a Star Warrior?_

He did not have much to pack anyway; most of it already was in his bag. He straightened his bed sheets a little more and looked around at the barrack. He had spent a little less than a year here. The rest of the men were approaching their third year, and he his second. Aside from Falspar, Dragato, and Nonsurat, he realized he had not bothered much to really know any of the other men. Even those three, he barely knew.

The two men who had slept in the front bunks had been killed at Mekkai. Maybe it was better to never have known much about them… seeing how short the time others lasted.

Falspar, Dragato, and Nonsurat were outside the barracks as Meta left it with his bag.

"Are you going?" Dragato asked.

"Yes… I guess…"

"Good luck." Falspar said, smiling.

Nonsurat nodded.

"Thanks," Meta finally replied, smiling a little appreciatively from under his mask.

* * *

Kit Cosmos left them at the starship dock when they landed. He was soon lost among the train of crate carts emptying the starships and the bustle of soldiers. Meta stared up at the starship port. This was the first time he had ever seen the GSA warships. They still didn't match up in size to the individual ones at NME, or have the same numbers as the opposing army. Walking here, they were only in one of the many rings revolving around the main structure of the headquarters.

"This way, Meta!" Jecra called. "Don't get lost!"

He followed him into a large room-sized lift just as several crate carts were loaded on as well. They were pressed to the back of the lift by the windows. As the floors passed, the lift emptied with each designated stop. Finally it was just the two.

"I hope moving you to a new regiment and home base isn't too uncomfortable for you. We'll find you a room first. Everyone else has probably arrived at the gathering."

"It's not a formal meeting, right?"

"No, just a small event we do every once and a while… to try and get us to meet with one another. Nothing big, really."

They finally arrived on a floor with doors lining the halls. They were pressed together tightly. They continued down the hall and came to a door with a blank number screen. Jecra tapped a few buttons and it lit up, opening the door for them.

"They're a little small, but hopefully better than the barracks?"

"Yes, very."

"There's a key card on the table. I need to head back to my room to drop off my things too. I'll be back."

As soon as Jecra left and closed the door, Meta let his awareness probe the room for any kind of security cameras. There were none. He opened his wings and collapsed on to his bed. _Finally_. He could sleep comfortably. His room also included cupboard and set of drawers built into the wall, a small desk and chair, and finally a compact bathroom with its own shower just off to side. He realized it was very cell-like, complete with bare walls, ceiling, and floor all within a confined space, but it was the best thing he had since coming to the GSA.

He put his bag away in the cupboard, took his keycard, and left the room feeling a little better about the new base. Jecra met up with him and they took the elevator back down.

"Actually, I should let you know. If you need anything ever, my room is down two floors, at the other end of the hall on the left. Three Fifty-One."

"Alright."

They left the elevator to hear the sounds of hundreds of voices. Meta felt his wings shiver. Then they finally entered.

Eyes followed Meta as he entered the room behind Jecra. His throat tightened. Was it just because he was a new face, or because of… no one had moved to stop or attack him.

_Like a rat hiding amongst cats?_

Jecra suddenly disappeared. Maybe he had gone to see others here? A woman with long, flowing purple hair approached him.

"Greetings. I'm glad that you could come, Meta. I'm Garlude." The woman introduced, warmly smiling.

Meta shook her hand, and then noticed her crown.

"Thank you… Your… Majesty?"

"Please. Just call me Garlude." She said. "But I just wanted to say… that was very impressive at Mekkai. The demonbeasts were caught by surprise that there would be a Star Warrior among the regular ranks. All of our forces were being held back at the frontlines."

"… But then why not put Star Warriors among the regular ranks?"

"It wasn't efficient in the past, and quite often easier to use a single regiment for more particular missions… and besides, we really needed every Star Warrior we had just to hold the frontlines. We're all very glad to be back."

"Oh, I was just wondering."

"Well, please, don't let me keep you here the entire time. The others here would like to speak with you too."

He had barely turned away when another voice spoke.

"Meta, is it?"

It was the Duke. Galacta Knight held in one hand a glass of wine, the other he offered in a handshake. Meta hesitated for moment, and then accepted. There was no dramatic wave of energy this time when their hands touched. The Duke seemed to be thinking about it too but said nothing. Aside from that, Meta was surprised to find the handshake friendly, not stiff.

"I apologize for the first time when we met. I'll have you know that I don't get usually upset like I was. It's Falspar. He gets on my nerves too often."

"… it's fine."

"I know who you are, but I'd like to formally introduce myself. I'm Duke Galacta. I come from Popstar… I heard that… you're actually from elsewhere?"

"Icronth."

"I've never heard of it. Where exactly…"

Meta saw from the corner of his eyes that there were many, many other Star Warriors listening to their conversation. He was distracted for a second before he forced himself back.

"It's… not well known. It's a small refugee site."

The Duke was also making side-glances at their listeners.

"Would you prefer to get away from all these people? Look at them. Absolutely zero decency. We're the subject for a lot of talk around here." He muttered.

"We… are?" Meta asked.

"I'll explain, somewhere else where people won't be staring at us like this…"

Meta was almost too glad to escape the watchful eyes. He followed the Duke out. Something about the knight's manner made Meta suspect there was more he wanted to talk about.

Outside of the tight room and bright lighting, the halls felt cool.

"We're very different than they are."

"In what way?"

"Our auras. They feel very odd to them."

Meta could tell that Galacta's aura was definitely different than that of other Star Warriors. In what way, he couldn't describe other than that it was stronger. Did his feel that way? Until now, he had never thought about how his aura could possibly feel to others, if no one could even sense that he was a demonbeast.

"And I see that your warpstar's a borrowed one as well. Maybe that's why they talk about us?"

Meta froze.

"Huh? How… how can you…"

"Of course I can tell. Your warpstar is a good fifty-thousand years older than you are."

The Duke wasn't trying to dig though. He laughed a little.

"I think you're the first one I've ever met that also has a borrowed warpstar.

"But then, how were we supposed to get our warpstars?"

"Warpstars aren't supposed to just switch Star Warriors. They come to Star Warriors when we're born and they die with us, they never… abandon one Star Warrior for another… I guess it'd be like someone's heart suddenly deciding to give up on its body and start beating for someone else..."

Meta could hardly remember the transfer of his own. It happened when they, he and the old Star Warrior… and someone else, who was it? They were escaping NME. The Star Warrior was shot… he picked up the warpstar. He just picked it up, and it suddenly became his? He had not intended to make it his own. He would never have touched it if he had known the warpstar would let the old Star Warrior die. Could he have lived? The warpstar had guided Meta so many times in his life. It saved him dying in the snow and led him to stand here, talking to the Duke. He felt like a thief.

Duke Galacta removed the warpstar off of his shoulder plate and held it.

"This is my grandfather's. He was still alive and well when it became mine, and he actually taught me a lot of techniques before he became ill. It infuriated my father that he never was a Star Warrior…"

He trailed off.

"I'm glad he wasn't. He's hateful enough."

"We're not… thieves, though…" Meta murmured.

"No, we're not. But that's what the others probably think. The warpstars obviously chose us, but why, I have no idea."

"I… I didn't even know the Star Warrior that mine belonged to."

"Did you even meet?"

"We did… briefly."

"Hm. Curious. But… I guess it doesn't have to do with the Star Warrior. Only the warpstar…"

They were silent for a while. They could still hear the noise from the party down the hall, and sense the hundreds of Star Warrior auras. All the other Star Warriors.

"The others don't believe that we're true Star Warriors. They won't." Duke Galacta finally said. "Anyway, I thought I'd let you know what you're in for from everyone else. I'm going back now."

He began walking off, but then paused to add one more thing.

"Don't let them ask too many questions. Neither of us understand it, and it certainly isn't any of their business."

* * *

"Meta. I want you to meet Kabu."

"Who?"

"Kabu. Have you ever heard of it?"

Meta shook his head. Again, he watched Jecra's throat twitch a little from his answer.

"It's a statue that aids us Star Warriors. Every planet has at least one, just some haven't been found. We go to Kabu for advice or for a safe place to rest."

_Advice? God, I need that right now…_

Gladly, Meta accompanied Jecra and they took an elevator up. As the floors passed, Meta looked outside at the rest of the GSA headquarters and the outer space beyond. Despite being at the base for a few days now, he had barely seen the entirety of the space station. From where they were, he could see the warship port and caught a glimpse of a battered warship returning to the base.

The elevator stopped and as the doors opened, Meta was surprised to see greenery. The entire floor was a large garden under a glass dome looking out into a pink nebula. The air was heavy with moisture and filled with scents of different flowers.

"Why a garden?"

"It's kind of nice, don't you think? I get sick looking at space and white walls all day."

"Isn't it expensive to maintain it?" He wondered aloud, noting the extensive watering system hanging above the plants from the ceiling.

"The Duke was the one who paid for it. I'm glad for it though. This is easily my favorite place."

They walked along the path toward the center of the greenhouse, past several exotic-looking flowers and trees with bright leaves and over a small stream. In the small clearing was a massive stone. Jecra led Meta around it to the front where he saw its face. For eyes, it had two large impressions in the rock for eyes and its mouth hung open. In the light of the small torches at its base, Kabu's face flickered.

"Kabu. I brought a new soldier. This is Meta." Jecra said, gazing up at the rock.

Meta watched the features. Nothing moved. Was it supposed to answer? Kabu's eyes stared straight up into the nebula. Jecra turned to Meta.

"I'll let you talk with Kabu alone. I'll be down at the training field."

Jecra was gone a minute after and silence filled the greenhouse. There was no one else and Meta nervously looked up at the statue.

"Uh… hi, my name is Meta…"

The statue stared out into the open space.

He felt foolish standing there, talking to a statue that would never respond. He could not sense anything particularly special about the rock. It was not magical; it did not breathe or do anything else out of the ordinary. Meta tried again.

"I just hope that… I'm supposed to be here… I'm… lost." He mumbled vaguely.

Finally, he turned away and left. Of course it would not speak to him. He was not a Star Warrior. Maybe Duke Galacta became a Star Warrior from a second-hand warpstar, but nothing replaced the fact that Meta was a demonbeast.

Kabu continued to stare out into space.

**X—X—X**

**Author Note: **One quick note about Kabu: the anime (somewhere toward the end) stated that there are multiple statues across the universe for protecting wounded Star Warriors and their warpstars. I'm making them all the same being, like the same Kabu for this story. The one that Meta just met is the "same" one on Popstar, and so some of the things that he's telling Kabu now may be repeated back to Kirby, Fumu, and Bun in the events of the anime. Kabu really isn't an all-knowing being. It apparently gets information from people telling it about whatever.

Another note: Jecra was testing Meta for _mushin_ (From Ivyna's footnote from episode 3, it's a state of being able to act on instinct). I thought I'd mention it because I wasn't sure how many people still remember about that. Meta Knight was teaching it to Kirby, and Kirby was able to reach it in his sleep.

Please review!


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